Canada Journal – News of the World Articles and videos to bring you the biggest Canadian news stories from across the country every day
Electric car maker Tesla Motors said Wednesday that it lost nearly $50 million in the first quarter, as development costs grew compared with a year ago.
Tesla’s loss of 40 cents per share contrasts with a profit of 10 cents per share in the January-March period last year.
Revenue grew 10 percent to $620.5 million. Tesla produced a record 7,535 Model S sedans and delivered 6,457 to customers.
Related : Tesla Latest
Analysts polled by FactSet had forecast a profit of eight cents per share on revenue of $683.5 million.
“The Model X is being pushed out. That’s a little bit of a negative,” said analyst Theo O’Neill of Litchfield Hills Research. O’Neill has set a $280 price target on Tesla’s stock and maintains a “buy” rating.
“Momentum stocks have taken a hit lately, but overall this was a good quarter,” he said, adding that Tesla CEO Elon Musk “has to be happy with the way things are going.”
During a conference call with analysts, Musk said Tesla has signed a “letter of intent” with Panasonic to jointly build a giant “gigafactory” for batteries for electric cars. Musk also said that California is back in the running to host the gigafactory, joining four other states. But Musk added that the speed with which states can issue permits for the massive facility is key. “The main thing with California is time to completion,” he said.
Tesla in its earnings reports emphasizes “adjusted” financial information, which excludes certain costs, such as stock options, and includes deferred revenue. Adjusted revenue was $713 million for the quarter, up 27 percent from a year ago.
Tesla remains bullish about the market in China, where deliveries of its Model S began this month. A company letter to shareholders said Shanghai officials have been supportive, allowing Tesla to construct a Supercharger station within a few weeks of site selection.
“Our entry into China has been greeted enthusiastically,” Musk wrote in the letter. “We plan to expand in China as fast as possible because we believe the country could be one of our largest markets within a few years.”
Tesla is now making nearly 700 cars a week at its Fremont factory, but plans to ramp up production to 1,000 cars a week by the end of the year.
Agencies/Canadajournal
