Tesla valuation indicative of confidence in the company’s future, says Musk

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Following a frank statement of opinion while presenting at the National Governor’s Association 2017 Summer Meeting last Saturday, Musk offered a small correction on Twitter. Tesla’s stock price is seemingly high past on past and present developments, but low if you believe in the company’s future.

I should clarify: Tesla stock is obviously high based on past & present, but low if you believe in Tesla's future. Place bets accordingly … https://t.co/4zbc6vqZSZ

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 17, 2017

During the meeting, he emoted that Tesla’s valuation was “higher than [the company] has any right to deserve”, which unsurprisingly has resulted in a 3% drop in the stock after markets opened this morning. Tesla’s valuation has long been a source of controversy for the company, particularly after major gains earlier this year valued it at over $60 billion – more than General Motors – for several months.

Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval speaking with Elon Musk at NGA 2017

Stock values in general are of course not an objective valuation of the entities they represent, and stock markets are better understood as complex solutions through which commercial entities are able to more effectively raise capital and simultaneously provide investors with a form of ownership in those entities they invest in. It should come as no surprise that the value of a stock can be a sign of the past, present, and anticipated future performance of a company, more typically some combination of all three aspects.

Tesla has long been preparing to aggressively push into several new markets, all of which have vast potential for disruption. Tesla has already demonstrated the undeniable success of their disruptive approach to the electric vehicle market. Tesla’s mass market EV, the Model 3, is just now beginning production “two weeks ahead of schedule“, with manufacturing goals at around 20,000 per month in December of this year.

As Musk himself said, Tesla’s investors can and will continue to place their bets accordingly.

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