Tesla Inc (NASDAQ:TSLA) shares are trading higher Tuesday, adding to strong gains from recent session. Here’s a look at what’s going on.
What To Know: The State Board of Administration of Florida Retirement System, which oversees the FRS Trust Fund and holds more than $1 billion in Tesla stock, endorsed CEO Elon Musk’s latest pay package in an SEC filing on Monday. The agency manages over $280 billion in total assets.
The SBA characterized the compensation structure as a “bold, performance-driven incentive structure” that provides no guaranteed pay for Musk. The agency stated that if Tesla achieves all metrics outlined in the plan, investors would benefit from incremental value creation of $7.5 trillion, with shareholder gains outweighing any dilution from the equity award.
The compensation package has drawn mixed reactions, with ARK Invest CEO Cathie Wood backing the award and forecasting a decisive shareholder vote in favor during the Nov. 6 meeting. CNBC’s Jim Cramer also supported the package, while Gerber Kawasaki co-founder Ross Gerber criticized it as “insanity.”
Separately, Morgan Stanley analyst Adam Jonas declared in a new investor note that Tesla has “solved” autonomous driving sufficiently to “pull the safety driver at scale in major metros.” Jonas suggested that the only factor preventing Tesla from removing onboard safety operators from its Robotaxis is the company’s “own abundance of caution.”
Jonas noted that no additional regulatory approval is required to remove drivers in Texas. The analyst projected Tesla’s global active vehicle fleet would reach 8 million by year-end 2025, potentially generating approximately $300 million in quarterly FSD revenue, or $1.2 billion annualized.
The assessment follows Musk’s third-quarter earnings call prediction that Tesla would eliminate onboard safety drivers from Austin Robotaxis by year-end, though the CEO scaled back his goal of serving over half the U.S. population, now targeting expansion in up to 10 major cities by the end of the year.
It’s worth noting that President Donald Trump indicated Monday that his relationship with Musk is back on track after a public falling-out earlier this year, which may be adding to the bullish momentum this week.
“He had a bad spell, he had a bad period. He had a bad moment,” Trump reportedly told reporters when asked about Musk. “It was a stupid moment in his life, very stupid. I’m sure he’d tell you that. But I like Elon, and I suspect I always will.”
The renewed friendship could benefit Tesla, particularly as the company seeks national approval for autonomous vehicles. Trump previously threatened to ban self-driving cars and recently named Tesla critic Jonathan Morrison to lead the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
TSLA Price Action: Tesla shares are up 2.09% at $461.85 at the time of publication on Tuesday, per Benzinga Pro. The stock is trading 5% below its 52-week high. In Tuesday’s session, Tesla stock has traded between $451.60 and $467.00. It’s also currently trading 15.9% above its 50-day moving average.
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