Gary Zhou 
Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) analyst Dan Ives from Wedbush predicted that the company has room for more price cuts in the short term. During an interview, Ives explained Tesla’s current situation and its valuation.
Dan Ives stated that Tesla had to ultimately “rip the band-aid off,” referring to the company’s price cuts.
“I think that was the smart poker move that Musk did it earlier this year. It’s a big reason why the stock’s up. Now, of course, the debate will be, do they need more price cuts?”
The Wedbush analyst predicts that Tesla might cut prices in the United States and China again sometime this year.
“Because of [Tesla’s] margin structure, it gives them so much more flexibility than other vendors to do these price cuts,” explained Ives. “And I think that really continues to be the story here, especially as battery costs ultimately get reduced over the coming months and year.”
Tesla is well-positioned in the electric vehicle market, partly thanks to its continued efforts toward innovation. During Tesla’s 2023 Shareholders Meeting, the company elaborated on its technological updates and advancements in the S3XY lineup and Tesla gigafactories. Each time Tesla improves its vehicles and factories, it also reduces costs.
TESLA AHEAD OF 2023 GUIDANCE
Tesla set a guidance of 1.8 million vehicles in 2023. Recently, the company delivered approximately 422,875 cars and produced a total of 440,808 units in Q1 2023.
The long-time TSLA bull noted that Tesla’s guidance is the foundation of investors’ assessments. Some investors and analysts believe Tesla needs to catch up on its deliveries and won’t meet its 2023 guidance. TSLA bulls believe the company is on track to meet its 2023 guidance.
“I think 50% was really something they took off the table on the last earnings,” Dan Ives replied when asked if Tesla would be able to grow 50% year-over-year in 2023.
Last year, Tesla did not set a specific guidance. Instead, the company stated it would aim to grow 50% year-over-year, which some reporters still use as a basis for their TSLA assessments.
“Now granted the longer term 50% goal, but really the number that the street investors are focused on is $1.8 million,” Ives explained. “And I think if you look at that, [Tesla] is on or actually ahead of that pace.”
You can view the CNBC clip here.
