Investors fear that the dispute between Elon Musk and President Donald Trump “will stop their friendship and change the regulatory environment for Tesla on the autonomous front over the coming years under the Trump administration,” Wedbush analyst Dan Ives said.
He rates Tesla stock Buy and has a $500 price target for the stock. Much of that target depends on Tesla launching and scaling an AI-trained self-driving taxi service. Tesla plans to start service in Austin, Texas, this much.
“This feud does not change our bullish view of Tesla and the autonomous view but clearly does put a fly in the ointment of the Trump regulatory framework going forward,” added Ives. “It’s another Twilight Zone moment in this Musk/Trump relationship, which now is quickly moving downhill.”