Executive Summary
In the first quarter of 2024, Tesla Inc (TSLA) reported revenues of $21.3 billion, reflecting a year-over-year decline of 8.7% and a quarter-over-quarter drop of 15.4%. This decline is primarily attributed to seasonal challenges and ongoing macroeconomic pressures, as stated by management during the earnings call. Despite the revenue decline, Tesla demonstrated resilience with operating income of $1.17 billion and net income of $1.13 billion, amounting to diluted EPS of $0.34. Elon Musk emphasized Tesla's commitment to electric vehicle (EV) dominance despite competitors' pullbacks, showcasing strategic investments in AI and energy sectors that are anticipated to drive future growth. Furthermore, the capital-efficient production of new models is expected to bolster overall vehicle capacity and profitability.
Key Performance Indicators
QoQ: -15.36% | YoY:-8.69%
QoQ: -16.72% | YoY:-18.07%
QoQ: -43.27% | YoY:-56.04%
QoQ: -85.76% | YoY:-55.07%
QoQ: -85.14% | YoY:-53.75%
Key Insights
**Revenue**: $21.3 billion, -8.7% YoY, -15.4% QoQ
**Gross Profit**: $3.70 billion, with a gross profit margin of 17.4%
**Operating Income**: $1.17 billion, equating to a 5.5% operating margin
**Net Income**: $1.13 billion; net income margin at 5.3%
**Diluted EPS**: $0.34, reflecting a 53.75% drop YoY
**Cash Position**: Cash and cash equivalents stood at $12 billion, down from $17 billion in the previous quarter.
The quarterly financials indicate a compression in margins and profit metr...
Financial Highlights
Revenue: $21.3 billion, -8.7% YoY, -15.4% QoQ
Gross Profit: $3.70 billion, with a gross profit margin of 17.4%
Operating Income: $1.17 billion, equating to a 5.5% operating margin
Net Income: $1.13 billion; net income margin at 5.3%
Diluted EPS: $0.34, reflecting a 53.75% drop YoY
Cash Position: Cash and cash equivalents stood at $12 billion, down from $17 billion in the previous quarter.
The quarterly financials indicate a compression in margins and profit metrics, raising concern amidst increasing operational expenses, specifically due to AI initiatives and capital expenditures for new production lines. Management is optimistic about margins improving, excluding Cybertruck rollout costs.
Income Statement
Metric |
Value |
YoY Change |
QoQ Change |
Revenue |
21.30B |
-8.69% |
-15.36% |
Gross Profit |
3.70B |
-18.07% |
-16.72% |
Operating Income |
1.17B |
-56.04% |
-43.27% |
Net Income |
1.13B |
-55.07% |
-85.76% |
EPS |
0.37 |
-53.75% |
-85.14% |
Key Financial Ratios
operatingProfitMargin
5.5%
operatingCashFlowPerShare
$0.08
freeCashFlowPerShare
$-0.8
priceEarningsRatio
123.62
Management Commentary
Strategic Initiatives:
- Elon Musk highlighted the ramping up of energy storage deployments leading to record profitability for energy services, emphasizing growth in the energy sector as a key strategic focus moving forward.
- Tesla continues to enhance its AI training capacities, significantly affecting operational efficiencies, with expectations to double AI training compute by year-end.
Market Position:
- Musk noted that while global EV adoption faces pressure, Tesla remains committed to its strategy of prioritizing full EV offerings as competitors shift towards hybrids, implying a long-term vision aligned with market trends favoring electrification.
- Musk revealed that the company plans the launch of new affordable vehicle models by late 2025 utilizing existing production lines to optimize CAPEX.
"Despite these challenges, the Tesla team did a great job executing in a tough environment... energy storage deployments... reached an all-time high in Q1, leading to record profitability for the energy business," - Elon Musk.
— Elon Musk
"We expect the inventory build to reverse in the second quarter and free cash flow to return to positive again," - Vaibhav Taneja.
— Vaibhav Taneja
Forward Guidance
Looking ahead, management projects that free cash flow will improve following the inventory build reversal anticipated in Q2 and ongoing cost management strategies. Musk also indicated that the energy storage segment is expected to experience significant growth, forecasting a 75% increase in deployments from the previous year, which could substantially enhance overall profitability.
Additionally, management plans to maintain a focus on developing new vehicle models and expanding AI capabilities, projecting that improved vehicle production efficiencies could achieve an increased output capacity exceeding 3 million vehicles in the next few years.