🔮 Better than the Oracle? Our Fair Value found this +42% bagger 5 months before Buffett bought itRead More

Tesla's Genius Move Or Price Cut In Disguise? Analysts Dissect EV Giant's 0.99% Model Y Financing Scheme

Published 14/05/2024, 10:26
Tesla's Genius Move Or Price Cut In Disguise? Analysts Dissect EV Giant's 0.99% Model Y Financing Scheme
TSLA
-

Benzinga - by Shanthi Rexaline, Benzinga Editor.

Tesla, Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA) has begun offering a heavily discounted 0.99% financing option for the purchase of its Model Y electric vehicles in North America, and venture capitalist and Deepwater Management Partner Gene Munster offered his take on the development in a post on Monday.

Material Development: Tesla is the “master” at tweaking prices to optimize demand,” said Munster. The fund manager noted that demand has been soft over the past five months. He noted that Tesla buyers can save $8,000 over an average six-year loan with a 1% interest rate relative to a 7% rate.

While noting that a majority of cars are now purchased with some sort of financing, Munster said, “This is material and gives me confidence that June quarter deliveries will improve from March.”

The tech analyst said he expects a 1%-4% year-over-year decline in June quarter deliveries versus the 1% drop forecast by Street and the 9% drop seen in the March quarter.

Not all share the same enthusiasm. Prominent short seller Jim Chanos sees this move as a camouflaged price cut. Replying to a Tesla fan’s comments that the reduced financing offer is an “absolute game changer,” the short seller said, “Who wants to tell him this is just another price cut…?”

Why It’s Important: After emerging out of the COVID-19 pandemic unscathed, Tesla’s fundamentals began to falter amid deteriorating economic conditions. Rising inflation ate away at consumers’ disposable income and kept them from spending on discretionary items such as cars.

Tesla went all out with the strategy of under-cutting competition to preserve its market share but it backfired as rivals followed suit. The price cuts have steeply eroded margins and profitability.

The Elon Musk-led company has opted to go with the “razor-razorblade” strategy, by sacrificing the margins of the auto business to make up for the shortfall with a high-margin, recurring revenue stream by selling its full self-driving software.

In premarket trading, Tesla shares rose 0.29% to $172.38, according to Benzinga Pro data.

Check out more of Benzinga’s Future Of Mobility coverage by following this link.

Read Next: Tesla CEO Elon Musk Draws Parallel Between Netflix’s Decision To Focus On Streaming Over Renting DVDs To EV Maker Doubling Down On Vehicle Autonomy

Photo courtesy: Shutterstock

© 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.

Read the original article on Benzinga

Latest comments

Risk Disclosure: Trading in financial instruments and/or cryptocurrencies involves high risks including the risk of losing some, or all, of your investment amount, and may not be suitable for all investors. Prices of cryptocurrencies are extremely volatile and may be affected by external factors such as financial, regulatory or political events. Trading on margin increases the financial risks.
Before deciding to trade in financial instrument or cryptocurrencies you should be fully informed of the risks and costs associated with trading the financial markets, carefully consider your investment objectives, level of experience, and risk appetite, and seek professional advice where needed.
Fusion Media would like to remind you that the data contained in this website is not necessarily real-time nor accurate. The data and prices on the website are not necessarily provided by any market or exchange, but may be provided by market makers, and so prices may not be accurate and may differ from the actual price at any given market, meaning prices are indicative and not appropriate for trading purposes. Fusion Media and any provider of the data contained in this website will not accept liability for any loss or damage as a result of your trading, or your reliance on the information contained within this website.
It is prohibited to use, store, reproduce, display, modify, transmit or distribute the data contained in this website without the explicit prior written permission of Fusion Media and/or the data provider. All intellectual property rights are reserved by the providers and/or the exchange providing the data contained in this website.
Fusion Media may be compensated by the advertisers that appear on the website, based on your interaction with the advertisements or advertisers.
© 2007-2024 - Fusion Media Limited. All Rights Reserved.