What happened
Shares of Tesla (TSLA -4.05%) climbed 18.8% in February, according to data from S&P Global Market Intelligence.
The electric vehicle manufacturer's shares have climbed 90.3% year to date and as investor sentiment turns positive on the company.
Image source: Getty images.
So what
Investors are probably still psyched by Tesla's solid financial numbers when the company released its 2022 earnings. Last year saw several record-breaking achievements as Tesla reported its highest-ever quarterly revenue and operating and net income. What's more, the electric-vehicle specialist generated $7.6 billion of free cash flow and delivered a record 1.31 million vehicles in 2022.
News that billionaire investor George Soros had taken a big bet on Tesla was probably another reason the stock rallied hard. His hedge fund, Soros Fund Management, carried on increasing its stake in the company through the fourth quarter of 2022, and a regulatory filing showed that the fund held 132,046 shares of the carmaker as of Dec. 31, an increase of 42,399 shares over the third quarter. Such a move must surely inspire confidence in investors, as Soros is known to be a savvy investor who knows a great bargain when he sees one.
Now what
In line with Tesla's plan to further expand its production capacity, the company has picked an industrial cluster in Mexico, Nuevo Leon, to construct its new Gigafactory. The governor there estimated that this new plant will probably require a $10 billion investment to be deployed in phases, adding to the $28 billion it has spent globally to date.
Tesla's Investor Day was another event that provided insights into the company's plans and targets for the future. It plans to grow its production capacity to 85 million per year by 2030 to achieve 100% sustainability by 2050. By harnessing next-generation vehicle manufacturing efficiencies, Tesla should see more than a 40% reduction in manufacturing footprint along with a 50% reduction in the cost of producing a vehicle. Its ambition to develop a fully self-driving car will tap into state-of-the-art artificial intelligence for modeling and utilize vast amounts of data supported by strong networks. To realize this dream, Tesla will need to tap into the semiconductor industry to supply it with the chips it needs for its vehicles, as its next-generation electric vehicles will use significantly more semiconductors than a typical internal combustion engine vehicle.
Tesla's targets may seem lofty, but the company has an uncanny knack for achieving its far-reaching goals as it continues to grow its presence around the world. The future looks exciting for Tesla but investors will understandably need the patience to see the company fulfill its objectives.
