TSLA Stock Rises After Piper Sandler Declares Optimus Is Free Ahead Of Musk China Visit

• The analyst considered Tesla’s 17 product lines, ranging from vehicles and energy storage to supercharging, in-house insurance, FSD subscriptions, and the robotaxi business, but without Optimus.
• Separately, Bloomberg reported earlier on Monday that President Donald Trump is expected to be joined by Tesla CEO Elon Musk on his official visit to China this week.
• The move is aimed at strengthening business ties, securing trade deals, and advancing U.S. commercial interests amid ongoing tensions between the two economic powers.

Shares of Tesla Inc. (TSLA) rose 4% on Monday after Piper Sandler analyst Alexander Potter said that near current prices, the EV giant is getting the Optimus business for free amid enthusiasm for CEO Elon Musk’s visit to China this week.

Potter said in a note that, according to the firm’s analysis, Tesla is worth around $400 per share, but Optimus is not part of that analysis. The analyst considered Tesla’s 17 product lines, ranging from vehicles and energy storage to supercharging, in-house insurance, FSD subscriptions, and the robotaxi business, but without Optimus, according to a report from Yahoo Finance.

“Critically, this analysis excludes Optimus, Tesla’s forthcoming humanoid robot,” Potter wrote. “In other words, at $400/share, we think investors can buy Optimus for free.”Optimus is one of Tesla’s thesis-defining products that will arguably be worth more than Tesla’s other businesses combined, the analyst said. However, valuing the business is difficult, the analyst said, while reiterating their $500 price target.

Piper’s price target assumed $100 per share for Optimus as well as all other Tesla businesses not included in its analysis. The analyst admitted that this is far too low, according to the report from Yahoo Finance.

Optimus Timeline

Tesla said in January that the company would unveil the Optimus version meant for mass production, nicknamed Gen 3, in the first quarter. The company, however, is yet to hold the event.

In April, Tesla CEO Elon Musk pinned the delay in revealing the production version of the Optimus humanoid robot to copycat fears.

Musk said in the company’s Q1 earnings call that the company expects to reveal the robot closer to production in the July-August timeframe. The version slated for production is “almost ready to demonstrate,” minus some aesthetic elements, Musk said, while adding that he wants the version to be “polished” and working functionally.

Tesla initially plans to manufacture Optimus on a production line that replaces its current one for the Model X and S at its Fremont factory. The last vehicles will be rolled off the final production line in early May. Following the retirement of the vehicles, Tesla will dismantle the old production line and install a new one, which Musk expects to take “at least a few months.”

Musk also added that it is “literally impossible to predict” the production rate of the Optimus this year, owing to the new nature of the product and the intricacies of the supply chain involved.

What About the Model S and X Retirement Event?

In April, Musk assured that Tesla would have an official ceremony to mark the end of Model S and X production. However, the company has yet to hold an event.

Musk’s Expected China Visit

Separately, Bloomberg reported earlier on Monday that President Donald Trump is expected to be joined by Tesla CEO Elon Musk on his official visit to China this week. The White House has invited Musk, along with Apple CEO Tim Cook and more than a dozen other top U.S. executives from companies including BlackRock, Goldman Sachs, and Boeing, to accompany him for high-stakes summit talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing.

The move is aimed at strengthening business ties, securing trade deals, and advancing U.S. commercial interests amid ongoing tensions between the two economic powers, the report said.

How Do TSLA Retail Traders Feel?

On Stocktwits, retail sentiment around TSLA stock rose from bullish to extremely bullish territory over the past 24 hours, while message volume stayed at normal levels.

A Stocktwits user voiced optimism for Musk’s upcoming China trip, bringing positive momentum for the company by placing “Tesla directly in the middle of the U.S.-China trade and AI discussion.”

Another said that many don’t understand the magnitude of the upcoming trip.

TSLA shares rose 40% over the past 12 months.

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