Gene Munster: Tesla Will Fall Short of Model 3 Production Goals
*By Michael Teich*
An analyst at investment firm Loup Ventures spent three days camping out at Tesla's Fremont factory and keeping tabs on what he saw.
And what he surmised was that the electric automaker would likely produce between 4,300 and 4,900 Model 3 vehicles in the last week of June.
If you're keeping track ー that’s below the 5,000 a week target set by CEO Elon Musk in January, marking the third time the company has fallen short of expectations for the mass-market car.
But Loup managing partner Gene Munster isn't too worried.
“It would be a miss for the quarter, but still a positive for the Tesla story,” he told Cheddar in an interview Wednesday.
Wall Street's Tesla bears have raised flags about the company's rapid cash burn rate and have warned it will have to raise more money to fund Model 3 production, but if Tesla reaches 6,000 per week by the end of September, those betting against the company's stock could be in trouble.
“If they scale Model 3, that should lead to being cash-flow positive in the December quarter, which is obviously the substance of the short story on Tesla,” said Munster.
For the full segment, [click here.](https://cheddar.com/videos/gene-munster-tesla-will-fall-short-of-model-3-goals)
Cracker Barrel said late Tuesday it’s returning to its old logo after critics — including President Donald Trump — protested the company’s plan to modernize.
Low-value imports are losing their duty-free status in the U.S. this week as part of President Donald Trump's agenda for making the nation less dependent on foreign goods. A widely used customs exemption for international shipments worth $800 or less is set to end starting on Friday. Trump already ended the “de minimis” rule for inexpensive items sent from China and Hong Kong, but having to pay import taxes on small parcels from everywhere else likely will be a big change for some small businesses and online shoppers. Purchases that previously entered the U.S. without needing to clear customs will be subject to the origin country’s tariff rate, which can range from 10% to 50%.
Southwest Airlines will soon require plus-size travelers to pay for an extra seat in advance if they can't fit within the armrests of one seat. This change is part of several updates the airline is making. The new rule starts on Jan. 27, the same day Southwest begins assigning seats. Currently, plus-size passengers can pay for an extra seat in advance and later get a refund, or request a free extra seat at the airport. Under the new policy, refunds are still possible but not guaranteed. Southwest said in a statement it is updating policies to prepare for assigned seating next year.
Cracker Barrel is sticking with its new logo. For now. But the chain is also apologizing to fans who were angered when the change was announced last week.
Elon Musk on Monday targeted Apple and OpenAI in an antitrust lawsuit alleging that the iPhone maker and the ChatGPT maker are teaming up to thwart competition in artificial intelligence.
Hear from Gabino & Stephen Roche on Saphyre’s institutional AI platform that centralizes pre‑ and post‑trade data, redefining settlement speed and accuracy.