Elon Musk to the Rescue? Here’s What This Investor Expects for Tesla Stock

The market continues to cheer CEO Elon Musk’s decision to devote more of his attention towards running Tesla, Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA), which the businessman-turned-Trump official shared on the company’s Q1 2025 earnings call.

Though the numbers were not exactly stellar – EV deliveries were down, and the company missed on both top- and bottom-line expectations – investors were heartily encouraged by the shift in Musk’s priorities. TSLA’s share price has gained over 40% since the late April earnings report.

Is this “Musk Bump” sustainable or will the exuberance flame out? Investor Bohdan Kucheriavyi is worried that the company may not be able to fully recover from the harm caused by Musk’s political activities.

“While Elon Musk has recommitted to his role recently, it’s possible that some of the damage is permanent and the company’s sales demand might be down 10% in the future,” explains the 5-star investor. “Elon Musk can’t save this anymore.”

Kucheriavyi highlights April sales data to demonstrate that Tesla is in a world of trouble. Declining Tesla registrations in France (down 59% year-over-year), fewer sales in Germany (down 46% year-over-year), and weakening sales in the United Kingdom (down 62% year-over-year) reflect the severity of this problem.

In China, Tesla sales numbers also dropped by 6% year-over-year – while rival BYD just notched its best sales week of 2025. Adding insult to injury, Kucheriavyi also notes that global EV sales increased by 30% in the month of April.

“It makes sense to assume that the recent damage to Tesla’s brand has certainly made it harder for the company to attract new customers,” adds the investor.

Looking domestically, Kucheriavyi does not find much reason for cheer. The investor points out that Ford’s F-150 Lightning recently overtook the Cybertruck as the best-selling electric pick-up truck, while the Republican-led U.S. Congress is likely to eliminate a $7,500 EV tax incentive that Tesla consumers have benefitted from.

The investor also offers a stern reminder that TSLA’s valuations are on the steeper side, and are currently trading at more than 180x the company’s forward earnings. This puts TSLA at risk for some severe losses up ahead.

“Considering that Tesla continues to trade at aggressive multiples at a time when its upside seems limited, it’s becoming harder to be bullish about its stock with each passing day,” concludes Kucheriavyi, who rates TSLA a Sell. (To watch Bohdan Kucheriavyi’s track record, click here)

Wall Street is a bit torn over TSLA’s prospects. With 16 Buy, 10 Hold, and 11 Sell ratings, TSLA has a consensus Hold (i.e. Neutral) rating. Its 12-month average price target of $282.70 would translate into losses of ~17%. (See TSLA stock forecast)

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Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the featured investor. The content is intended to be used for informational purposes only. It is very important to do your own analysis before making any investment.