Tesla shares rose more than two percent Friday after [CEO Elon Musk tweeted](https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/984705630106673152) that the electric carmaker does not need more capital because it will turn a profit by the end of the year.
Not all investors bought Musk’s ambitious projections. “I think that’s a stretch,” said Gene Munster, the managing partner of Loup Ventures. He said in an interview with Cheddar that it would take Tesla “11 quarters” to reach profitability.
Munster compared Musk’s optimism with Apple’s Steve Jobs. “Jobs had this reality distortion field where he truly believed that things that were not happening could happen, and I think Elon Musk, for better or worse, has some of those same symptoms,” Munster said.
Tesla’s profitability likely depends on sales of the mass-market Model 3 sedan, but production of the car has been slower than expected.
Musk projected last December that the company could produce 20,000 Model 3 vehicles a month. But the company only managed to make 1,000 cars a week that month.
Supply bottlenecks for some parts has limited production, which barely reached 2,000 vehicles a week last quarter. Musk took charge of production management himself last week in an effort to ramp up production.
Munster said Tesla will eventually get to the 20,000 mark. “That’s not in the reality distortion field conversation,” he said. But Model 3 production delays are already a drag on the company’s stock.
Goldman Sachs this week lowered Tesla’s share price target from $205 to $195, citing difficulties with the Model 3.
For full interview, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/markets-recover-at-weeks-end).
Taking a look at investment strategy as the new year gets into full swing.
Americans stepped up their spending in December more than expected, closing out the holiday season and the year on an upbeat tone. The Commerce Department said retail sales rose 0.6% in December compared with a November’s 0.3% increase.
A New York architect charged in a string of slayings known as the Gilgo Beach killings was accused in a 25-year-old Connecticut woman's death.
Uber purchased Drizly in a cash-and-stock deal for $1.1 billion in 2021. The drink delivery app will shut down in March, according to Uber.
After Donald Trump's victory at the Iowa caucus, Nikki Haley and DeSantis continue their campaigns as New Hampshire's primary looms.
Christine Short, VP of Research at Wall Street Horizon, shares insights on small and big banks earnings, a fresh round of layoffs in the tech world, and what to expect from upcoming rate decisions.
More executives are feeling better about the global economy. But a growing number don’t think their companies will survive the coming decade without a major overhaul because of pressure from climate change and technology like artificial intelligence.
The International Olympic Committee has signed the first beer brand in the 40-year history of a sponsorship program that earns billions of dollars for the organization and international sports.
The latest calculations from several science agencies showing Earth obliterated global heat records last year may seem scary. But scientists worry that what’s behind those numbers could be even worse.
Along with the $122 million from delinquent millionaires in October, nearly half a billion dollars in back taxes from rich tax cheats has been collected.
