Is Tesla Stock a Buy Now?
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The leading purveyor of EVs just reported disappointing Q2 financial results.
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4 min read
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investment
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July 27, 2025
06:14 PM
The Motley Fool
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Interestingly, Tesla (TSLA 3. 49%) is without a doubt a top-performing stock
In the past decade, it has returned an impressive 1,760%, crushing the market along the way
But this electric vehicle (EV) stock hasn't taken investors on a smooth ride
As of July 23, s trade 31% below their peak from December 2024
What the re reveals is market ly isn't happy with how the has been performing, with slower growth and declining fitability the new normal (remarkable data)
Nonetheless, the stock is a historical winner
So, should you buy Tesla right now
Trends paint a disappointing picture During the three-month period that June 30 (second-quarter 2025), Tesla disappointed investors with financial metrics that came in below Wall Street expectations
Revenue declined 12% year over year to $22
Moreover, 5 billion, while adjusted earnings per dipped 23% to $0
The stock was down more than 4% in the after hours
The top line was negatively affected by falling EV deries (this bears monitoring)
What's more, average selling prices have been under pressure
Conversely, The damage that founder and CEO Elon Musk caused to Tesla's brand is also playing a role when it comes to demand
Additionally, Additionally, Competition isn't making things easier, which reinforces the need for Tesla to introduce cheaper options to target a wider customer base and boost sales figures (noteworthy indeed)
Investors did get some good news on this front. "We continue to expand our vehicle offering, including first builds of a more affordable model in June, with volume duction planned for the second half of 2025," the holder presentation reads
This development is especially timely given the elimination of the $7,500 federal EV tax credit that will happen on Sept
Tesla's fate rests on autonomous driving As of this writing on July 23, Tesla s trade at a price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 183
That nosebleed valuation isn't a new development, as this company always seems to sell for a steep multiple
Moreover, For comparison's sake, Tesla's P/E ratio is more than seven times more expensive than the S&P 500 index, given the current landscape
Moreover, At the same time, And it's more than three times higher than luxury carmaker Ferrari, which reported a superb operating margin of 30, in this volatile climate. 3% in the first quarter, given the current landscape
Tesla is a story stock, as investors are always believing in Elon Musk's grand vision
Based on the valuation, which is not even remotely rooted in the reality of the today, the market sees Tesla succeeding with its goal of launching a global robo-taxi platform
Additionally, Furthermore, Musk thinks this service could see "quasi-infinite" demand
However, nothing is certain
However, After years of delays, Tesla finally launched a small robo-taxi test in Austin, Texas in June
Furthermore, There are plans to enter other cities before the end of the year
In fact, Musk went so far as to say that "we will bably have autonomous ride-hailing in bably half the population of the U
By the end of the year. " But regulatory hurdles remain, as well as nical challenges
So, investors should temper their expectations
Moreover, It's also worth highlighting how far Tesla is behind Alphabet's Waymo, which reached 250,000 trips per week domestically in April and offers the service in five U (something worth watching)
Cities, with Miami and Washington, D
There's no denying that Tesla is one of the most innovative and disruptive companies the world has seen
Its gress thus far in artificial intelligence and robotics ves this, not to mention how the completely spurred the advancement of EVs to more customers worldwide (quite telling)
But what Tesla will look five or 10 years down the road is anyone's guess
It could look the same as it does today, or it could be running a thriving robo-taxi service that rakes in monster fits (something worth watching)
Based on the current valuation, though, the downside risk is substantial (which is quite significant)
On the other hand, Investors might want to think twice before buying the stock.
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