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11 NEWS 6.7.2023 TESLA (NASDAQ: TSLA) stepped on the accelerator in June, with shares climbing 28.3% according to data provided by S&P Global Market Intelligence. at's more than four times the 6.5% gains of the S&P 500 index and adds to its blistering rally so far in 2023, with the stock up more than 127%. While a rebound among technology stocks was undoubtedly a contributing factor, the electric vehicle (EV) maker gained addition- al momentum and had numerous catalysts over the past month that helped drive the stock higher. So what Likely the most significant contributor to Tesla's stock performance in June was the tidal wave of carmakers adopting its North American Charging Standard (NACS) charging port and joining Telsa's Super- charger Network. Ford announced its deci- sion in late May, but June brought similar an- nouncements from General Motors, Rivian, Volvo and Polestar Automotive. ere are also reports that Hyundai and Volkswagen are mulling a similar decision. Other developments also boosted Tesla shares. Early last month, Telsa announced that all of its Model Y and Model 3 vehicles are eligible for the full $7,500 federal tax credit under the revised guidelines for EVs. When combined with other state and local incentives, these tax credits make several Te- sla cars comparably priced to their counter- parts with internal combustion engines. Rounding out a month of good news was word that during the first quarter, Tesla's Model Y became the best-selling vehicle on the planet, according to automotive industry publication Motor1. e report noted that this was the first time an EV had accom- plished this feat. Tesla outsold the popular frontrunners, including Toyota RAV4 and Corolla. Now what ere were plenty of reasons for Tesla shareholders to celebrate last month, but there's evidence that the company may just be getting started. On Sunday, Tesla announced its production and delivery numbers for the second quar- ter, and (if you'll excuse the pun) "delivered" far better results than investors had hoped. Tesla produced 479,700 vehicles during the quarter and delivered a record 466,140. Investors must wait until Tesla reports its second-quarter financial results on July 19 to get the whole picture. Tesla had cut prices several times during the past three months to help bolster sales, so investors will be keen to know the impact of these discounts on Te- sla's margins. Still, enigmatic CEO Elon Musk has repeat- edly shown that he's playing the long game. When questioned about whether he was starting a price war, he responded, "We're not 'starting a price war,' we're just lower- ing prices to enable affordability at scale," he wrote in a post on Twitter. To be clear, Tesla's valuation is enough to make any value investor light-headed. e stock sells for 52 times forward earnings and 6 times next year's sales, so it isn't for the faint of heart. at said, the company's suc- cess thus far in revolutionizing the EV mar- ket suggests it's worthy of a lofty valuation. And valuation -- like beauty -- is in the eye of the beholder. TESLA'S deliveries from its Shang- hai factory more than doubled in the second quarter, accounting for over half of its record global sales, according to a Chinese trade group. Tesla (TSLA) China's wholesale de- liveries reached 247,217 vehicles in the April to June months, up 120% from a year ago, according to a CNN calculation based on data released Tuesday by the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA). In June, Tesla China reported wholesale deliveries of 93,680 vehi- cles, up 19% from the same period a year ago, preliminary data from the CPCA showed. e wholesale figures include both domestic sales and exports from the Shanghai Gigafactory. Overall, China's electric vehicle (EV) market powered ahead in the second quarter, thanks to massive price cuts by car suppliers and local government subsidies, the CPCA said. Sales of new energy vehicles — which include battery powered EVs, plug-in hybrids and fuel cell vehicles — hit a record high in June, it added. e robust shipments from the Shanghai factory boosted Tesla's glob- al sales, sending its shares soaring. On Sunday, the company announced it delivered over 466,000 vehicles worldwide in the second quarter, the highest quarterly number on record. e electric carmaker led by Elon Musk doesn't break down its sales by region. e CPCA data suggests Tesla's shipments from Shanghai ac- counted for 53% of its total sales. It's not just Tesla that had a re- cord-breaking quarter. BYD (BYDDF), the Chinese electric car maker backed by Warren Buffett, did even better. Between April and June, BYD sold more than 700,000 new energy vehi- cles, almost double the number sold in the same quarter last year and set- ting a new quarterly record. BYD is currently the best-selling EV brand in China, followed by Tesla, ac- cording to the CPCA. In terms of battery powered EVs, BYD sold 352,163 vehicles in the sec- ond quarter, outpacing Tesla China's figure of just under 250,000. Why Tesla stock stomped on the accelerator in June An aerial view of Tesla's Gigafactory in Shanghai Tesla's China deliveries account for more than half of global sales