Electric vehicle (EV) makers have had a hard year on Wall Street, and Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA | TSLA Price Prediction) stock is a clear case in point.
On September 1, 2025, Elon Musk laid out his fourth “Master Plan” for Tesla, which was immediately criticized by some of his most ardent fans for being generic. Musk agreed and promised to add more specifics.
The company TSLA+0.42% on Friday is expected to report third-quarter deliveries of 461,000 electric vehicles, a 7% decline compared to the year-ago quarter, according to analyst estimates compiled by FactSet. That would also represent a drop of about 4% relative to the second quarter.
Tesla investors who celebrated the biggest milestones in company history did not always walk away with the biggest gains, and the gap between some of those entry points is staggering enough to reframe how investors think about riding hype.
Tesla is down more than 21% this year and sitting well below a key price level, but two specific dates on the calendar could change everything for retirement investors holding TSLA.
Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA | TSLA Price Prediction) stock was the clear September winner among the three automakers, rising roughly 1.1% to $352.61. Ford Motor (NYSE:F) stock fell 13.4% to $12.02, while General Motors (NYSE:GM) stock declined 10.8% to $77.03.
Tesla and SpaceX reported the same strategy this summer: spend aggressively now and collect profits later. A simultaneous market selloff would punish Elon Musk's fortune from both sides, and the two companies face that risk in very different financial conditions.
Tesla just posted record deliveries and still trades at 344 times earnings while Rivian bleeds cash but actually gets valued like a car company.
Tesla has arranged $25 billion in new debt.
Tesla keeps setting bold product deadlines, and the stock keeps rallying on the reveal before the date quietly disappears.
Tesla has secured $30 billion in fresh credit lines that it could use to help scale the new products it is currently working on: the Cybercab robotaxi, Optimus robot, and Tesla Semi.
Tesla has entered into credit agreements totaling $30 billion, including a $20 billion delayed draw term loan facility, according to a regulatory filing on Tuesday.