The market reacted very positively to Tesla Motors'
So why do I think the market has gotten ahead of itself? Here are the three biggest reasons why you should sell Tesla today.
Delays
Tesla is projecting its next vehicle the Model S to be available in mid-2012. There are high hopes for this model because it is a lower cost four-door sedan that will reach a wider audience. But product launches almost never go as planned. A123 Systems
Competition
Tesla has been operating with virtually no competition to this point, but that's about to change. GM's Chevy Volt is hitting showrooms, Nissan's Leaf will be available next month, and the list goes on and on.
Tesla has arguably the most compelling vehicles in the electric car business. A relatively small number of initial buyers, however, will be spread over a growing number of manufacturers.
Value
Tesla is worth $2.7 billion and recently reported a quarterly loss of $34.9 million. The company isn't even expecting to report a profit until at least 2012, so there is a long wait for profitability.
A quick back of the napkin calculation shows just how far Tesla has to go. If we average Ford's
To live up to a $2.7 billion market cap with a 15 P/E ratio, the company will eventually have to earn $180 million each year (before discounting). Tesla will barely reach half of that in revenue this year, so we're assuming a lot of growth and some pretty high margins on vehicles.
I hope Tesla is a wild success as a car company. I would love to own the stock, but I think investors are looking at this company through rose colored glasses right now. Leave your thoughts about Tesla in the comments section below.
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