Tesla CEO Elon Musk Urges Investors To Hold Stock For ‘Extremely Bright’ Decade — Analyst Says It's ‘Done Nothing’ For 5 Years

• Musk highlighted upcoming developments, including the Optimus humanoid robot, CyberCab production ramp and expanded battery manufacturing.
• Future Fund’s Gary Black noted that Tesla shares have gained about 81% over five years, trailing the Nasdaq’s roughly 94% rise.
• Black also said Tesla lags Alphabet’s Waymo in fully driverless weekly rides and flagged declining forward earnings estimates.

Tesla Inc.’s (TSLA) long-term story is back in focus after CEO Elon Musk urged investors to “hold on” to the stock, even as Future Fund's managing partner, Gary Black, highlighted five years of lagging returns.

TSLA stock fell over 2% to $408.58 in Thursday’s regular session and dipped a further 0.5% after-hours. 

Musk Sees ‘Extremely Bright’ Tesla Future

In a recent interview with Andre Thierig, senior director of manufacturing at Giga Berlin, posted on X, Musk said Tesla has an “extremely bright future” over the next five to 10 years and urged investors to “hold on to your Tesla stock,” adding that he believes it “is going to be worth a lot.”

His comments came as he outlined a broad slate of initiatives spanning artificial intelligence-led self-driving, humanoid robotics through Optimus, CyberCab production and battery manufacturing.

Musk pointed to Tesla’s expanding push into autonomy, and described its system as “Tesla AI software that drives the car just by looking, like a human does,” and said regulatory approval in the Netherlands could come as soon as March 20. Echoing comments from the past, Musk said that from a technical standpoint, Tesla vehicles may soon reach a stage where passengers could “fall asleep in a Tesla and wake up at your destination.” 

Musk Backs Optimus, CyberCab Ramp

Beyond self-driving, Musk highlighted the Optimus humanoid robot, saying it could eventually assist with everyday tasks such as caring for children, supporting elderly parents, or performing domestic work.

Tesla is also preparing to scale production of its CyberCab, with Musk saying the company has already begun building units and expects volume production to ramp from April, with significant output by the end of the year. The company is also expanding battery production and refining operations in Texas while preparing five factories to begin volume production this year.

“Tesla, let's just say in 10 or 20 years from now? In 20 years, I'd say Tesla's got factories on the moon, actually. Basically, I see a very prosperous future for Tesla,” Musk said.

Gary Black Raises Performance Concerns

Black on X offered a more cautious stance on Tesla’s stock. He said shares have “done nothing” over the past five years, noting the stock has gained about 81% during that period compared with a roughly 94% rise in the Nasdaq. 

He also said that Tesla has fallen behind Alphabet’s Waymo in fully driverless rides completed per week, noting that Waymo is completing about 400,000 rides weekly compared with fewer than 100 for Tesla. Black also pointed to declining forward earnings estimates for 2026–2028.

“My sources tell me demand for Cybertruck’s new $59.9K trim is nearly all cannibalization of the $79.9K trim,” Black said. 

Tesla Autonomy Rollout Under Watch

Despite Musk’s confidence in Tesla’s autonomy roadmap, recent field observations suggest the company’s robotaxi rollout remains cautious. Jefferies said on Thursday that during test rides in Austin, most Tesla robotaxis still required a safety monitor in the front seat. The firm noted that Tesla’s rides were cheaper than UberX but came with longer wait times and struggled with pickup, drop-off and routing.

In response to the Jefferies note, Black said, “$TSLA shouldn’t trade at a 200x P/E if its fully autonomous ride-hailing platform actually requires supervision. Safety monitors aren’t scalable.” 

Tesla’s robotaxi fleet, largely composed of Model Y vehicles equipped with Full Self-Driving (FSD) technology, currently operates in Austin and the Bay Area. Musk said during Tesla’s fourth-quarter earnings call that about 500 vehicles are active.

Cybertruck Rollout Faces Demand Test

Tesla recently introduced a lower-priced $59,990 Dual Motor AWD Cybertruck variant, with the company indicating pricing could increase after Friday. The model has faced uneven demand since deliveries began in November 2023. Tesla sold 50,850 units across its premium lineup in 2025, including Model S, Model X and Cybertruck, implying Cybertruck volumes remain below earlier expectations.

Musk has said the Cybertruck could eventually serve as a robotaxi platform for autonomous intra-city cargo delivery.

How Did Stocktwits Users React?

On Stocktwits, retail sentiment for Tesla was ‘extremely bullish’ amid ‘low’ message volume.

One bullish user said, “What if tomorrow is the day we see a giant green candle... go thru the chart, it's due!!!”

Another user said, “musk interview got me feeling niceyyyy.”

TSLA stock has declined 9% year-to-date.

For updates and corrections, email newsroom[at]stocktwits[dot]com.

Share

·

Add us on