Based on the aggregated intelligence of 180,000-plus investors participating in Motley Fool CAPS, the Fool's free investing community, electric vehicle operator Tesla Motors (TSLA 1.33%) has received a distressing two-star ranking.
With that in mind, let's take a closer look at Tesla and see what CAPS investors are saying about the stock right now.
Tesla facts
Headquarters |
Palo Alto, Calif. (2003) |
Market Cap |
$5.8 billion |
Industry |
Automobile manufacturers |
Trailing-12-Month Revenue |
$413.3 million |
Management |
Co-Founder/Chairman/CEO Elon Musk CFO Deepak Ahuja |
Return on Equity (average, past 3 years) |
(45.9%) |
Cash/Debt |
$201.9 million / $466.7 million |
Competitors |
General Motors Pininfarina Toyota Motor |
Sources: S&P Capital IQ and Motley Fool CAPS.
On CAPS, 34% of the 1,269 members who have rated Tesla believe the stock will underperform the S&P 500 going forward.
Just last week, one of those bears, FreePoetInvestor, tapped the stock's recent surge as seemingly unsustainable:
Tesla stock has made impressive gains over the past month -- it has demonstrated that it can make a profit, and it's offered a new financial scheme for buys, to lease the Model S for those that might not have the means to afford the steep price-tag. That said, the recent performance also feels fueled by some hype. Tesla still has a long ways to go before becoming the going concern it needs to be. ... Over the long term, there may be potential, but this recent uptick feels a bit overdone.