Electric-car maker Tesla (TSLA -3.55%) is slated to report earnings after market close today. With the stock up more than 500% over the past 12 months, investors will be watching to see if the automaker can live up to the hype.
Though Tesla already reported higher-than-expected deliveries for its second quarter, there are still plenty of unknowns for the period. Investors will be looking to see how the production ramp up of Tesla's new Model Y is going, whether the automaker was able to squeak out a fourth quarterly profit in a row, and how many vehicles management expects to deliver for the full year.
The company will report this afternoon. Here's a preview of these key areas.
Model 3. Image source: Tesla.
Model Y: Tesla's next big catalyst
Tesla said it delivered 90,650 vehicles during its second quarter. Though this is down 5% year over year, it's an impressive feat, considering that the automaker's main car factory was shut down for the first half of the quarter.
One key question that went unanswered in Tesla's second-quarter vehicle delivery report earlier this month was how many of these vehicles were the company's new Model Y. All Tesla said was that it delivered 10,600 total Model S and X vehicles and 80,050 combined Model 3 and Y vehicles.
Since Tesla didn't start delivering Model Y until March, and given that it takes time to ramp up production, Model 3 undoubtedly accounted for the bulk of the company's combined Model 3 and Y vehicles during Q2. But it'll be useful to get more insight into exactly how quickly Model Y production is ramping up because the vehicle could morph into a significant catalyst for Tesla, given its more competitive price point relative to the Model X -- Tesla's only other SUV in its lineup. The Model Y's starting price is nearly 40% below the Model X's.
Model Y. Image source: Tesla.
Will Tesla report a profit?
Investors will also be watching Tesla's bottom line closely. Some analysts are expecting the electric-car maker to report a profit in Q2, but others expect a loss. The consensus forecast, however, is for a loss of $0.11 per share on a non-GAAP (generally accepted accounting principles) basis.
The company put its near-term bottom-line guidance on hold when it reported its first-quarter results, as its California factory was shut down at the time of the report. But management reiterated that, over the long haul, it expects to achieve "industry leading operating margins and profitability."
Can Tesla deliveries exceed 500,000 this year?
Finally, investors will turn their attention to Tesla's guidance for full-year deliveries. Going into 2020, Tesla said it expected to deliver more than 500,000 vehicles this year, which translates to 36% or greater year-over-year growth. But the automaker withdrew its outlook to account for an uncertain operating environment when it reported its first-quarter results.
Now that Tesla's California factory has reopened, will management reiterate its outlook for more than 500,000 deliveries? Or has a pause in production, along with economic uncertainty, negatively impacted demand and put this target out of reach?
Tesla will report its second-quarter results after market close today. It will also host a live conference call at 2:30 p.m. PDT to discuss the results.
