Tesla, TSLA & the Investment World: the Perpetual Investors' Roundtable

[Buckminster]

We talk a lot about what price target to sell at here, but others talk about goals. I'm more of the latter now.

I ordered my first Tesla, P85 in December 2013, hardly any Superchargers in Europe and no real indication that Tesla would be around long enough to build it out, but the car was so amazing I couldn't resist - and thanks to the tax laws, it was as cheap as my previous Volvo on net cost.

Like most others that buy a Tesla, I started following the company and then wanted a part of it - bought 8 shares on 10th July 2015 at $270 each; of course, with some skin in the game, you start digging deeper.

In January 2016, we sold our house and started renting. I know this sounds a bit odd, but in Brussels, you pay around 12% taxes on a house purchase and my wife gets restless - we were moving every two years or so. While the prices rose, you could cover the taxes, but this occasion the market had been stagnant, so we essentially lost €75k and I decided it would be better to rent, allowing easy moving around, plus the rent was 20% lower than mortgage for nicer properties, so I persuaded wifey this was the way to go.

When we closed-out our mortgage, we got around €60k cash back at the beginning of February. This was the time of the big drop on Chinese growth worries, the SP halved to the $140's. I proposed to my wife we put it into $TSLA as it had dropped so low, after some persuasion she allowed me to buy 100 shares at $149 on 16th Feb. A week later and it was about $160, she saw some potential there and permitted me to use the rest of the money - 307 more shares & $165.93 - some regret there with the delay!

You have to know that we both have good jobs - wife is an official at the European Commission and I'm a freelance consultant at the same establishment - albeit a completely different area. Between us we earn very decent money, but three kids and bad spending habits meant we had zero savings and were living from payday to payday.

We had a dream of buying a summer-house in Denmark, in my wife's home town, so we said, let's see f we can get enough from our shares to do that. We also agreed between us that Tesla could go bust and we'd lose it all. For €60k that was OK. This type of money is nice to have, but it's not life-changing. I started adding shares when I had the money, mostly in the $200 range. The stock doubled with the M3 reveal, but then crashed back down to half and then at that moment, a summer-house came up for sale and we negotiated a good price, but it was twice our current shares value, we'd have had to get loans and mortgages, all sort of complex stuff (as it was in another country) and we got as far as almost signing for it when I got cold feet, realised I was giving the shares away and loaning us up-to-the eyeballs for 10 years. We discussed and backed-out of it, and agreed to wait until we had pure cash to buy something.

So fast-forward to today and we could buy that same house 4 times over. And that's where the goals come in, because the goals have changed. The new goal is to be able to buy a suitable, but very nice house in Brussels again, for cash. Although Brussels is expensive by Belgian standards, it's cheap compared to London, Paris, Copenhagen, etc. You can get a good, detached house in a top neighbourhood for around €1.5 million. So this is now one of those goals. But added to that, we'd still like the summerhouse, and could get something fantastic for €500k, really fantastic, or on the Dutch coast, or north France, lots of options. This leads is to a $2million cash-out target.

However, it's a bit more complex than that because aside our personal shares (which can be sold tax-free, BTW), I have my trading account in my company, which stands at $350k for the moment. I realised that if I could get this up to $1m and we no longer had to pay rent, I could stop the day job and just trade the capital for income, so that's also now a goal too.

So when would this be achieved? $3000k per share, I think, maybe a bit sooner. But it's not about the same price, it's about those goals I mentioned above. A home without mortgage or rent, a place in the country, and a retirement (of sorts) for me.

None of this would be possible, even thinkable without Tesla - their remarkable employees, their maverick CEO and the help pf the short-sellers and BS merchants keeping the stock low for so long.

- house
- summer house
- early retirement

Sorry for the long post, just felt a need to share.

It was nice having a follow Brit on the forum - shame you are leaving so soon...

One other thing, I saw my second and third Model 3's in Liverpool today.

With their wheel's intact? Can I get away with a joke like that these days?

 

[dl003]

I owe everything I have in TSLA to the short sellers. Tesla had always been a status symbol to me although I didn't know much about the company. I just knew that the cars were good looking and fast and the website was one of the nicest I'd ever seen. I remember randomly stumbling upon an article, probably written by some short, saying that TSLA holders were a bunch of lunatics who suggested they could let Tesla collect more fee from ride-sharing at their expense.
Fast forward to Spring last year, I woke up one morning and started going through my emails. One from Quora asked if Tesla made good cars. The top answer was a rosy review and so instinctively I searched for the ticker. I was astounded by the market cap of $40B!! I told myself no way, I thought Tesla was as big as Facebook. How could it be worth only $40B? So, I sold all of my positions in VOO and bought all the shares that I could. The rest is history. I'm not sure if it was dumb luck or the articles about Tesla I subconsciously picked up over the years, but $40B for a name like this was a no-brainer.
My goal is to have $1M in TSLA before I turn 35 and then I can quit my job and do something that I can be passionate about. I can be very productive to the point of obsession if I find something I believe in. My previous plan was to get $1M and move back to California and get a job at Tesla but now that they're building a factory a little over an hour from where I live, I'm gonna be there.

 

[JRD1]

S&P 500 Inclusion. We are all looking to see if Tesla will be included in the S&P500 as it will obviously provide for a short term boost to the share price while various institutions accumulate shares for their index funds. After this is accomplished, a leveling off of the share price would be expected to occur with growth of the price resuming as Tesla continues to grow and produce profits. So, the million dollar question? When and how will S&P500 inclusion happen? S&P500 is both rule based and by Committee (the wild card here IMO). The Committee meets monthly to evaluate S&P candidates/participants and assesses each Company using the following criteria:

• 
  
• (X) the sum of the previous four quarters of earnings must be positive (GAAP) as well as the most recent quarter: (ASSUME)

The S&P criteria say SHOULD be profitable not MUST be possible. They use the words deliberately so I think they should be used literally. The quote in the Nasdaq article is directly from the S&P document. https://www.spglobal.com/spdji/en/documents/methodologies/methodology-sp-us-indices.pdf Pg 9

To me that gives them wiggle room to allow a company on the edge of 4 qtrs total positive profit to be included. Doesn’t me they will but it means they could.

Plus it is up to the committee’s discretion which means it is somewhat subjective. If Tesla declares enough profit to make the total for the prior 12 months positive, they are not REQUIRED to add them. Just ELIGIBLE to be added.

Thats how I interpret it at least. I can see a scenario where it might be positive but they decide Tesla has not shown enough consistent profitability to be included.

That section is also labelled “Financial Viability” which I think almost all of us here would say Tesla is viable but there others that disagree (TESLAQ).

The question is how many committee members are like Chanos and how many are like Ron Baron?

 

[troym]

Are/will 3/Y cannibalize S/X? What will happen to S/X? Revived with Plaid? Could levels once again reach 30k combined/Q? Or even more?

From Hypercharts, Model S deliveries. 20 Q1 was 6.115k. 20 Q2 would be 5.3k with S/X split evenly.

Model S upward growth trajectory ended 17Q4. 18 Q1/2 downward trajectory but loss not covered by M3 ramp as too few M3 units were sold. Q3/4 rebounded as M3 production ramp really hit its stride (no sign of cannibalization). All of 19, upward trajectory resumes but from a much lower base level (sign of cannibalization?). 20 so far has stagnated at 5-6k units/Q.

From Hypercharts, Model X deliveries. 20 Q1 was 6.115k. 20 Q2 would be 5.3k with S/X split evenly.

Model X upward growth trajectory ended 18Q4. 18 deliveries continue the trend upwards despite M3 ramping (no sign of cannibalization). All of 19, like S, upward trajectory resumes but from a much lower base level (sign of cannibalization?). 20 so far has stagnated at 5-6k units/Q.

From what I can see, 3 has cannibalized S/X sales, with the effect on S more profound and earlier, perhaps as expected. However, instead of a steady decline in sales of S/X, if the change in trajectory can be attributed to the 3, the cannibalization has knocked deliveries down to a new base which to once again grow off of.

It will be interesting to see how S/X deliveries, as well as 3, play out as Y is ramped.

 

[Bet TSLA]

S&P 500 Inclusion. We are all looking to see if Tesla will be included in the S&P500 as it will obviously provide for a short term boost to the share price while various institutions accumulate shares for their index funds. After this is accomplished, a leveling off of the share price would be expected to occur with growth of the price resuming as Tesla continues to grow and produce profits. So, the million dollar question? When and how will S&P500 inclusion happen? S&P500 is both rule based and by Committee (the wild card here IMO). The Committee meets monthly to evaluate S&P candidates/participants and assesses each Company using the following criteria:

(X)=Yup (?)=not sure

• (X) a market cap of $8.2 billion (as of Feb. 2019 guidance) (# fluctuates according to SM boom/bust): $224.18B July 2, 2020
• (X) its headquarters in the U.S.: Palo Alto, CA USA
• (X) SP must be >/= $1.00 pr/sh: $1208.66 July
• (X) Must file an annual 10K report
• (X) at least a year since its initial public offering : IPO 6/29/2010 $17.00pr/sh
• (X) at least a quarter-million of its shares trade in each of the previous six months leading up to the evaluation date: (2.15mil pr mos (Yahoo Finance))
• (X) the sum of the previous four quarters of earnings must be positive (GAAP) as well as the most recent quarter: (ASSUME)
• (?) the value of its market capitalization trade annually (Annual dollar value traded to float-adjusted market capitalization is greater than 1.0)
• (?) most of its shares in the public’s hands (50% available to the public) (The portion of a company's outstanding shares that is in the hands of public investors, as opposed to company officers, directors, or controlling-interest investors.) Free float calc: FFM = Share Price x (Number of Shares Issued – Locked-In Shares) Yahoo gives the following:

Shares Outstanding: 185.48M
Float: 147.63M
% Held by Insiders: 20.51%
% Held by Institutions: 57.93%

• (?) 50% of its fixed assets and revenues generated in the U.S. (Probably but can't find specific source)

• (?) Sector Classification. (Tesla fits multiple categories of Global Industry Classification Standard (GICS). GICS is used as a basis for S&P index in which each company is assigned to a sub-industry, and to an industry, industry group, and sector, by its principal business activity

I think the above is exhaustive of the Committee criteria, please add or delete if better info is available. My sources were Investopedia, McGraw Hill, NASDAQ, Wikipedia (sources used).

I read that after meeting, the S&P Committee provides a 7 day notice of S&P inclusion of a new candidate to index funds so as to provide opportunity to accumulate prior to public knowledge. (not a verified source)

Q: Does the committee meeting occur after or before official announcement of quarterly results (i.e. July 22, 2020) so maybe August or before, so maybe July? Anybody know?
Q: Other than the above criteria, is there any subjectivity the Committee can introduce to foil S&P inclusion?
Q: What are the dates the S&P committee meets? (We know its once a month but when?)
Q: If there really is a 7 day prior notice to institutional index funds, is there any ability to be privy to this?

So, please cut and paste the list with the missing info so that we might get some clearer visibility on the date of S&P inclusion.

Assuming all of the criteria are met and Committee subjectivity is not a thing, it appears to me that August would be the earliest official S&P inclusion can occur?

Thanx!

Fun trivia: Tesla is the most valuable firm not on the S&P500

Great article on S&P inclusion(FEB2020):
Is Tesla on Track to Join the Elite S&P 500 Index This Year?

Fire Away!
(It's STILL the batteries, STUPID!)

Nice summary. But I think we need to consider the possibility that the committee will simply decide to take some alternate action, possibly based on TSLA inclusion being too disruptive at this time. An abrupt rise followed by a similar crash isn't really a good thing for anybody, except a few day traders who get lucky.

Another possibility that doesn't contract the float is if current institutional investors have already accumulated shares and agreed on private sales to S&P tracking funds. After all, S&P 500 inclusion has been an obvious eventuality for a long time, so it's reasonable to guess that plans have been put in place to avoid chaos. These people aren't stupid, and it sure ain't their first rodeo. This is pretty much what I expect is the case.

So what happens if the powers that be don't play along with the "IT'S GOING PARABOLIC!!!!" crowd? What's the reasonable level for TSLA? Does it hang around 1200 into earnings, or continue up to something much higher (my Jan '21 1800 calls would like that!)? Does it fall back after earnings, or sit around waiting for battery day? Or continue up? All a mystery. But all things considered, I wouldn't count on the S&P 500 event to do anything much for the stock price beyond what's already happened.

Be careful out there.

 

[JRD1]

The S&P criteria say SHOULD be profitable not MUST be possible. They use the words deliberately so I think they should be used literally. The quote in the Nasdaq article is directly from the S&P document. https://www.spglobal.com/spdji/en/documents/methodologies/methodology-sp-us-indices.pdf Pg 9

To me that gives them wiggle room to allow a company on the edge of 4 qtrs total positive profit to be included. Doesn’t me they will but it means they could.

Plus it is up to the committee’s discretion which means it is somewhat subjective. If Tesla declares enough profit to make the total for the prior 12 months positive, they are not REQUIRED to add them. Just ELIGIBLE to be added.

Thats how I interpret it at least. I can see a scenario where it might be positive but they decide Tesla has not shown enough consistent profitability to be included.

That section is also labelled “Financial Viability” which I think almost all of us here would say Tesla is viable but there others that disagree (TESLAQ).

The question is how many committee members are like Chanos and how many are like Ron Baron?

Just to be clear I like the definitions used by the IETF for specifications to distinguish MUST/SHOULD. RFC 2119 - Key words for use in RFCs to Indicate Requirement Levels

1. MUST
This word, or the terms "REQUIRED" or "SHALL", mean that the
definition is an absolute requirement of the specification.

2. MUST NOT
This phrase, or the phrase "SHALL NOT", mean that the
definition is an absolute prohibition of the specification.

3. SHOULD
This word, or the adjective "RECOMMENDED", mean that there
may exist valid reasons in particular circumstances to ignore a
particular item, but the full implications must be understood and
carefully weighed before choosing a different course.

4. SHOULD NOT
This phrase, or the phrase "NOT RECOMMENDED" mean that
there may exist valid reasons in particular circumstances when the
particular behavior is acceptable or even useful, but the full
implications should be understood and the case carefully weighed
before implementing any behavior described with this label.

 

[StealthP3D]

https://twitter.com/cgrantwsj/status/1278702493376151552?s=21

Noticing Charlie Grant of the WSJ mocking TSLA on his Twitter feed after his hit piece today on Tesla,...thick as thieves with Lora Kolodny.
I wonder how things are with legacy auto advertising these days lol, maybe a bit thin

Who would listen to this clown. Look, here he is high as a kite on national television. They didn't even have drugs like what he's on when I was his age:

https://twitter.com/i/status/1279003599457026049

 

[j6Lpi429@3j]

I feel that the idea of a pre-FSD tesla-network is such a no-brainer in terms of free marketing and extra revenue (and extra-autopilott raining miles), that the only reason its not being done is management bandwidth.

Tesla currently is handling:
The Shanghai ramp-up
The Berlin build
The Solar ramp-up
Battery tech improvments
FSD research
The Semi
The Roadster
The Cybertruck
Tesla Insurance...

How the hell is one company managing any of this? I think Tesla should look into paying good money to poach some top-tier managers from Uber,Lyft etc to come set up a Tesla network. They likely cannot cope with the extra managerial oversight required to start yet another business in yet another field, and yet the synergy and economic benefits are clear.

 

[H Mak]

It was nice having a follow Brit on the forum - shame you are leaving so soon...

With their wheel's intact? Can I get away with a joke like that these days?

I'm a Manc living in Liverpool so fire away

 

[jerry33]

IHow the hell is one company managing any of this? I think Tesla should look into paying good money to poach some top-tier managers from Uber,Lyft etc to come set up a Tesla network. They likely cannot cope with the extra managerial oversight required to start yet another business in yet another field, and yet the synergy and economic benefits are clear.

I think I'd rather have managers that are committed to the mission rather than managers poached from competitors.

 

[Words of HABIT]

A lot of chat about when to sell. As dollar cost averaging works well when purchasing shares, it should also work well when selling. Upon retirement from one to three years from now, my plan is to sell 1/40th of my shares every year on January 1st. Dollar cost averaging is my long term exit plan. I'm posting this on my fridge. I'd be an absolute fool not to stick with this plan, and @StealthP3D, no need to remind me what blunder I did last May!

 

[mongo]

From what I can see, 3 has cannibalized S/X sales, with the effect on S more profound and earlier, perhaps as expected. However, instead of a steady decline in sales of S/X, if the change in trajectory can be attributed to the 3, the cannibalization has knocked deliveries down to a new base which to once again grow off of.

It will be interesting to see how S/X deliveries, as well as 3, play out as Y is ramped.

Related to that, S/X are no longer the bread winners for Tesla, but it will be interesting. Especially with plaid versions (Nurburgring soon?).

From the Motley Fool Q3 2019 call transcript:

Pierre Ferragu -- New Street Research -- Analyst

Okay. Sorry for that. So, I was wondering how your thinking has evolved on Model S and Model X. It looks like the deliveries have stayed to the deliveries of the previous quarter and that Model 3 has indeed cannibalized the demand for these cars, quite a big deal. So how are you thinking about these two models going forward? What's the strategy you have in mind? And I have a quick follow-up on the Model Y.

Elon R. Musk -- Founder, Chief Executive Officer & Director

The Model S and X are really niche -- they're really niche products. I mean, they're very expensive, made in low volume. To be totally frank, we're continuing to make them more for sentimental reasons than anything else. They're really of minor importance to the future.

Pierre Ferragu -- New Street Research -- Analyst

Okay. That makes sense. And then, my question...

Elon R. Musk -- Founder, Chief Executive Officer & Director

They're great cars. The Model S I think if you want -- I mean, the Model S literally won Motor Trend's best car ever in history by the way. I think if you're out there and you're buying -- and you're going to buy a Model S, I think you just made a mistake, to be totally frank. It's incredible, especially the new one with variable damping suspension, hospital operating room, HEPA filter for air purification, the raven powertrain. It's the fastest car in the world, and it's just so easy to drive. It makes you feel like Superman driving that car. It's incredibly safe. It's just an amazing vehicle. And then, Model S, I think, is like Faberge egg of cars. I mean, not Model X. Model X is like the Faberge egg of cars. Yeah, that's why so many artists and musicians buy the car. It's an art piece basically.

Zachary Kirkhorn -- Chief Financial Officer

Yeah, just to add -- I agree. They're absolutely phenomenal cars. And we are increasing production on our S and X lines for this quarter in response to increasing demand. And so, I think part of the story here is, as we have launched, ramped and stabilized Model 3, that's kind of consumed a lot of the attention around the company. But now as that has stabilized, we're able to focus our attention and balance that between S and X and Model 3. So, the delivery numbers in Q3 understated the interest in the product for that quarter. And we continue to see strength in the order rate, which we anticipate will be reflected in S and X deliveries in Q4.

Elon R. Musk -- Founder, Chief Executive Officer & Director

I mean, Model S -- basic Model S at this point has a range of 370 miles. Actually, technically it's 373, but we actually certified it incorrectly as 370, but it's 373. And there are some software improvements that we think will make that even better. I forgot to mention, we're also expecting there's going to be an over-the-air improvement that will improve the power of the Model S, X, and 3. That's, by the way coming in a few weeks. Should be in the order of 5% power improvement due to improved firmware. Drew, do you want to say anything on that?

Drew Baglino -- Chief Technology Officer

Yeah, we just continue to learn how to optimize the motor control in our products. And yeah, so 5% improvement for all Model 3 customers and 3% for S and X.

Elon R. Musk -- Founder, Chief Executive Officer & Director

Yeah, and there's also the single pedal driving that will improve the range as well.

Drew Baglino -- Chief Technology Officer

Very excited about that. It's an improvement in comfort and feel.

Elon R. Musk -- Founder, Chief Executive Officer & Director

Yeah, it's easier to drive. And it improves the range.

Drew Baglino -- Chief Technology Officer

Yes. And faster super charging.

Elon R. Musk -- Founder, Chief Executive Officer & Director

Faster super charging, yeah.

Drew Baglino -- Chief Technology Officer

For Standard Range and Standard Range Plus customers, which is a big deal.

Elon R. Musk -- Founder, Chief Executive Officer & Director

I don't think there's ever been a situation in history where you buy a car and it gets way better over time just through the software. Not a little bit better, but a lot.

Drew Baglino -- Chief Technology Officer

It's very exciting, I think. Yeah. As a customer myself, I enjoy these updates. I always look forward to them.

Elon R. Musk -- Founder, Chief Executive Officer & Director

Yeah, might move the Model S range to almost 380 or high 370s with the update.

Zachary Kirkhorn -- Chief Financial Officer

And we're not stopping to work there. We'll continue working on these developments.

Elon R. Musk -- Founder, Chief Executive Officer & Director

Yeah, absolutely.

 

[dww12]

Who would listen to this clown. Look, here he is high as a kite on national television. They didn't even have drugs like what he's on when I was his age:

https://twitter.com/i/status/1279003599457026049

I am fine with this. I still need to buy more.

 

[Tim S]

I read that after meeting, the S&P Committee provides a 7 day notice of S&P inclusion of a new candidate to index funds so as to provide opportunity to accumulate prior to public knowledge. (not a verified source)

Q: Does the committee meeting occur after or before official announcement of quarterly results (i.e. July 22, 2020) so maybe August or before, so maybe July? Anybody know?
Q: Other than the above criteria, is there any subjectivity the Committee can introduce to foil S&P inclusion?
Q: What are the dates the S&P committee meets? (We know its once a month but when?)
Q: If there really is a 7 day prior notice to institutional index funds, is there any ability to be privy to this?

I believe @Curt Renz 's source the other day said the 7-day notice is public knowledge, not just to the index funds, e.g. a press release.

I searched for Twitter's inclusion and found this story 2 days before it was added to the S&P 500:
Twitter to join S&P 500 stock index, giving stock price a boost.

From a link in the story:
"NEW YORK, June 4, 2018: S&P Dow Jones Indices will make the following changes to the S&P 100, S&P 500 and S&P SmallCap 600 effective prior to the open of trading on Thursday, June 7:  Netflix Inc. (NASD: NFLX) will replace Monsanto Company (NYSE:MON) in the S&P 100, and Twitter Inc. (NYSE:TWTR) will replace Monsanto in the S&P 500. Bayer Aktiengesellschaft is acquiring Monsanto in a deal expected to be completed soon pending final conditions."

So that was actually 2 days notice (announced after the market close Monday, changes made Thursday before the open).

Here's another more recent example, also with 2 days notice (NOW)...
Thermo Fisher Scientific Set to Join S&P 100; ServiceNow to Join S&P 500

Here's a story about Tesla's potential inclusion from Barron's yesterday...
Tesla Stock Looks Like It’s Joining the S&P 500. Here’s How to Calculate the Impact.

"Tesla stock’s potential inclusion in the S&P 500 index has Tesla bulls buzzing. Index inclusion is a good thing, but it isn’t everything. There are a few things to consider before buying Tesla stock ahead of any indexing announcement. For starters, index inclusion isn’t guaranteed, but second quarter delivery estimates, which smashed Wall Street expectations, makes inclusion look increasingly likely.
...
Beating an estimated per-share loss of $1.58 seems easy. So does positive earnings over the past 12 months. The tougher criterion to meet for index inclusion looks to still be positive earnings per share in the most recently reported quarter. There is, however, the matter of the global pandemic. Even if Tesla doesn’t turn a profit S&P officials have discretion. “The committee can use its discretion when it makes sense,” said an S&P spokesperson to Barron’s. Still, there is no guarantee such discretion will be exercise
...
Investors could be forgiven if they thought Tesla was in the index already. The company is bigger, by market value, than every other auto component of the S&P combined. What’s more, Tesla’s market value would be just outside the top 20 companies in the entire index. Tesla is, in short, an electric vehicle behemoth."

(Emphasis mine).

 

[jerry33]

Related to that, S/X are no longer the bread winners for Tesla, but it will be interesting. Especially with plaid versions (Nurburgring soon?).

Per car they still generate more profit. Obviously the difference in production quantities means 3/Y will have more profits combined. Also they sell to a mainly different crowd.

 

[lascavarian]

It is difficult to hold a stock long-term through ups and downs. I have only sold a few shares of TSLA once. I thought I could get back in a little lower and it made some tax sense. Taxes helped but I lost money just the same. Not sold any TSLA since and my thinking of stock trading vs careful choice of a deserving long-term hold has changed. When the deserving long-term hold comes along, it is the way to go above all others. Trading looks increasingly foolish to me.

I bought a basket of EV related stocks initially but over time I moved it all to TSLA (now about 30% of holdings).

TSLA has to be the near perfect long term hold. It is exciting to watch on a grand scale. It is secretive and at the same time transparent. There is always news to consider and new horizons. TSLA has a deserving villain (fossil fuels) as a counterpoint that threatens, blusters and motivates.

TSLA can't help but be engaging, enlightening and exciting. Today I would have a very hard time selling partially because I still see so much up side.

 

[Tslynk67]

Slightly off topic but like many on here I recently bought some Tesla merchandise to help the cause. I got a t shirt and hoodie and have to say they are really good quality. Not cheap by any means but the fit is great and the styling is very contemporary. I am very pleased and would recommend them. Not like the usual tat you tend to get.

One other thing, I saw my second and third Model 3's in Liverpool today. I got a bit too excited

So now the said apparel is in the wash?

 

[mongo]

A lot of chat about when to sell. As dollar cost averaging works well when purchasing shares, it should also work well when selling. Upon retirement from one to three years from now, my plan is to sell 1/40th of my shares every year on January 1st. Dollar cost averaging is my long term exit plan. I'm posting this on my fridge. I'd be an absolute fool not to stick with this plan, and @StealthP3D, no need to remind me what blunder I did last May!

An alternative, if your account allows, is selling calls against your shares. Either you get premium and keep the shares, or you get premium plus the extra stock price increase.
If all you need is 2.5% a year. That's 0.05% a week. With SP at 1200, a $0.60 premium per share (on all holdings) would give you that. July 10th 1780 calls are in that range. Very little chance of assignment.
Or, go for $6 on 1/10 your holdings. That would be 1480 calls, requiring a $260 rise in a week for assignment. (Which would also give you $26k per contract)

Not advice

 

[Artful Dodger]

Thoughts?

By July 2024, TSLA will dethrone MSFT as the No. 1 component of the S&P500 list.

Ie: TSLA > $8k / chair in today's furiture prices...

Cheers!

 

[mongo]

Per car they still generate more profit. Obviously the difference in production quantities means 3/Y will have more profits combined. Also they sell to a mainly different crowd.

Indeed, the trend being that soon Tesla will be profitable even if S/X sales are zero. More sales always being better, of course.