鑒于新冠疫情呈蔓延趨勢,特斯拉采取了看似十分極端的舉措,在上周關(guān)閉了加州弗萊蒙特的汽車工廠,以及布法羅的太陽能面板工廠。
然而,盡管特斯拉會因此直接陷入困境,但很多分析師認(rèn)為公司的長遠前景出人意料的好。3月19日,也就是特斯拉發(fā)布關(guān)閉工廠聲明之后,摩根士丹利甚至將特斯拉股票的評級從“賣出”上調(diào)至“觀望”。這主要是因為特斯拉的股票已跌至更具吸引力的價格區(qū)間,同時還因為摩根士丹利的分析與其他觀察家一樣,認(rèn)為電動汽車在挺過這場災(zāi)情方面有著很大的優(yōu)勢。
原因如下:
需求至上
很明顯,特斯拉弗萊蒙特工廠的關(guān)閉將對其業(yè)務(wù)造成巨大沖擊:該工廠是特斯拉最大的汽車生產(chǎn)廠。摩根士丹利認(rèn)為關(guān)閉將持續(xù)一個月,并讓特斯拉2020年的汽車交付量減少3萬輛,也就是降至42萬輛。然而,這個數(shù)字較特斯拉2019年36.7萬輛的交付量依然是一個巨大的增長,但距離其自家預(yù)測的數(shù)字還有很大的差距,公司曾稱今年的產(chǎn)量將“輕松超過50萬”。
然后就是需求問題。特斯拉稱,眾多買主迫切希望買到特斯拉,公司所產(chǎn)的每一輛車都不愁賣,摩根士丹利的分析報告對此并無異議。然而,我們有理由質(zhì)疑這一假設(shè)。即便在新冠病毒對汽車市場造成沖擊之前,特斯拉也面臨著電動汽車稅收減免到期以及競爭加劇等不利因素。
沒有人能夠準(zhǔn)確預(yù)測此次正在顯現(xiàn)的經(jīng)濟衰退會擁有什么樣的深度和廣度。新車購買數(shù)量已經(jīng)開始下滑,這一態(tài)勢可能會延續(xù)兩周的時間,但也有可能是4個月。特斯拉或?qū)⑹状蚊媾R供過于求的局面。
Publicis Sapient交通行業(yè)首席分析師阿里薩?阿爾特曼表示:“如果整個汽車行業(yè)都在下滑,人們不會競相花錢去買購買特斯拉。”這對于特斯拉的財務(wù)來說不是什么好消息。
現(xiàn)金為王
但這個最糟糕的情形實際上也指向了特斯拉能夠笑到最后的原因:它擁有大量的現(xiàn)金儲備。
最重要的是,特斯拉在2月通過新股發(fā)行籌集了23億美元,此舉看起來十分有先見之明。這些股票在2月12日的售價為767.29美元/股,一周后漲至917.42美元/股。對于中國疫情的擔(dān)憂以及隨后疫情在全世界的傳播,讓股價在上周三跌至505美元/股。
但特斯拉依然拿到了23億美元的現(xiàn)金,也讓其總現(xiàn)金儲備達到了驚人的86億美元。在最近向美國證券交易委員會提交的文件中,特斯拉還稱自己大約有30億美元的信貸額度。
特斯拉還背負(fù)著一些大額未償債務(wù),New Street Research的皮埃爾?菲拉古估計,這些債務(wù)包括對上海和柏林工廠的20億美元承諾投資,以及15億美元的供應(yīng)商貨款。但菲拉古認(rèn)為,即便減去這些債務(wù),再加上每季度6億美元的凈開支,特斯拉依然可以在沒有額外投資的情況下運行15個月的時間。
盡管30億美元的信貸額度存在一些限制,但特斯拉可以進一步延長其運營期限。另一方面,不斷下滑的需求可能會讓特斯拉預(yù)估的開支有所上升,但如果特斯拉能夠?qū)⑵溥\營期限延長的足夠長,那么它也很有可能渡過嚴(yán)重經(jīng)濟衰退中最困難的時期,然后恢復(fù)增長。
長期愿景
在埃隆?馬斯克的領(lǐng)導(dǎo)下,特斯拉有條不紊地(也可以說是戲劇性地)打造了一個電動汽車零售市場,并在這一領(lǐng)域占據(jù)了主導(dǎo)地位。一般的經(jīng)濟衰退不大可能讓這個已然成功的公司脫軌。但如果新冠疫情對經(jīng)濟造成更大的破壞,這個故事可能就會被大幅改寫,只是結(jié)果未卜。
摩根士丹利在3月11日的另一份報告中指出,原油市場便是一個明顯的威脅。在原油生產(chǎn)巨頭沙特與俄羅斯之間價格戰(zhàn)的推波助瀾下,新冠疫情引發(fā)了有史以來最大的油價跌幅。阿爾特曼認(rèn)為,疫情對全球經(jīng)濟的持續(xù)影響,例如制成品供應(yīng)鏈的縮短,將讓油價繼續(xù)在低位運行。燃油價格的降低也會削減司機購買電動汽車的意愿,因為它降低了內(nèi)燃機汽車的持有成本。
然而,摩根士丹利的分析師指出,這并非是一個嚴(yán)重的威脅,因為電動汽車購買的下一次爆發(fā)將源自于大型車隊的電動化,而私人購買將退居二線。阿爾特曼稱,與十年前相比,消費者認(rèn)為電動汽車的問題并不在于燃油成本,而是充電設(shè)施。在這一領(lǐng)域,特斯拉先進的專屬超級充電系統(tǒng)在同行業(yè)中可謂是鮮有敵手。
另一個風(fēng)險在于,經(jīng)濟嚴(yán)重的下滑可能對政府政策造成的沖擊,而這些政策可能對特斯拉的增長來說至關(guān)重要。如果嚴(yán)重的經(jīng)濟衰退給政府預(yù)算帶來壓力,那么包括德國、韓國在內(nèi)的諸多國家可能會削減為電動汽車買家提供的豐厚補貼,而補貼的削減又會導(dǎo)致銷量的減少,并減緩該行業(yè)在經(jīng)濟好轉(zhuǎn)時的恢復(fù)速度。受此影響,特斯拉將越發(fā)難以完成其大規(guī)模生產(chǎn)Model 3s和Model Ys,并以此維持利潤的目標(biāo)。
然而,阿爾特曼給出了完全相反的預(yù)測。她說:“疫情過后,重建基礎(chǔ)設(shè)施的決心將得到重振。這是一個巨大的機遇,能夠讓我們以不同的方式來思考人們的出行方式?!?/p>
這可能意味著政府會出臺新的大型動議,支持電動汽車充電網(wǎng)絡(luò)的建設(shè)、電池研發(fā),甚至是直接提升補貼。自由派智囊團Data for Progress認(rèn)為,新冠疫情消退后的經(jīng)濟刺激可能會依賴于此類碳減排舉措。盡管這類政策在當(dāng)前的美國不大可能會出現(xiàn),但領(lǐng)導(dǎo)層的變動或全球范圍內(nèi)的類似動議可能會創(chuàng)造一個真正有利于電動汽車行業(yè)恢復(fù)的環(huán)境,受益者不僅包括特斯拉,還包括經(jīng)濟的其他領(lǐng)域。(財富中文網(wǎng))
譯者:馮豐
審校:夏林
鑒于新冠疫情呈蔓延趨勢,特斯拉采取了看似十分極端的舉措,在上周關(guān)閉了加州弗萊蒙特的汽車工廠,以及布法羅的太陽能面板工廠。
然而,盡管特斯拉會因此直接陷入困境,但很多分析師認(rèn)為公司的長遠前景出人意料的好。3月19日,也就是特斯拉發(fā)布關(guān)閉工廠聲明之后,摩根士丹利甚至將特斯拉股票的評級從“賣出”上調(diào)至“觀望”。這主要是因為特斯拉的股票已跌至更具吸引力的價格區(qū)間,同時還因為摩根士丹利的分析與其他觀察家一樣,認(rèn)為電動汽車在挺過這場災(zāi)情方面有著很大的優(yōu)勢。
原因如下:
需求至上
很明顯,特斯拉弗萊蒙特工廠的關(guān)閉將對其業(yè)務(wù)造成巨大沖擊:該工廠是特斯拉最大的汽車生產(chǎn)廠。摩根士丹利認(rèn)為關(guān)閉將持續(xù)一個月,并讓特斯拉2020年的汽車交付量減少3萬輛,也就是降至42萬輛。然而,這個數(shù)字較特斯拉2019年36.7萬輛的交付量依然是一個巨大的增長,但距離其自家預(yù)測的數(shù)字還有很大的差距,公司曾稱今年的產(chǎn)量將“輕松超過50萬”。
然后就是需求問題。特斯拉稱,眾多買主迫切希望買到特斯拉,公司所產(chǎn)的每一輛車都不愁賣,摩根士丹利的分析報告對此并無異議。然而,我們有理由質(zhì)疑這一假設(shè)。即便在新冠病毒對汽車市場造成沖擊之前,特斯拉也面臨著電動汽車稅收減免到期以及競爭加劇等不利因素。
沒有人能夠準(zhǔn)確預(yù)測此次正在顯現(xiàn)的經(jīng)濟衰退會擁有什么樣的深度和廣度。新車購買數(shù)量已經(jīng)開始下滑,這一態(tài)勢可能會延續(xù)兩周的時間,但也有可能是4個月。特斯拉或?qū)⑹状蚊媾R供過于求的局面。
Publicis Sapient交通行業(yè)首席分析師阿里薩?阿爾特曼表示:“如果整個汽車行業(yè)都在下滑,人們不會競相花錢去買購買特斯拉?!边@對于特斯拉的財務(wù)來說不是什么好消息。
現(xiàn)金為王
但這個最糟糕的情形實際上也指向了特斯拉能夠笑到最后的原因:它擁有大量的現(xiàn)金儲備。
最重要的是,特斯拉在2月通過新股發(fā)行籌集了23億美元,此舉看起來十分有先見之明。這些股票在2月12日的售價為767.29美元/股,一周后漲至917.42美元/股。對于中國疫情的擔(dān)憂以及隨后疫情在全世界的傳播,讓股價在上周三跌至505美元/股。
但特斯拉依然拿到了23億美元的現(xiàn)金,也讓其總現(xiàn)金儲備達到了驚人的86億美元。在最近向美國證券交易委員會提交的文件中,特斯拉還稱自己大約有30億美元的信貸額度。
特斯拉還背負(fù)著一些大額未償債務(wù),New Street Research的皮埃爾?菲拉古估計,這些債務(wù)包括對上海和柏林工廠的20億美元承諾投資,以及15億美元的供應(yīng)商貨款。但菲拉古認(rèn)為,即便減去這些債務(wù),再加上每季度6億美元的凈開支,特斯拉依然可以在沒有額外投資的情況下運行15個月的時間。
盡管30億美元的信貸額度存在一些限制,但特斯拉可以進一步延長其運營期限。另一方面,不斷下滑的需求可能會讓特斯拉預(yù)估的開支有所上升,但如果特斯拉能夠?qū)⑵溥\營期限延長的足夠長,那么它也很有可能渡過嚴(yán)重經(jīng)濟衰退中最困難的時期,然后恢復(fù)增長。
長期愿景
在埃隆?馬斯克的領(lǐng)導(dǎo)下,特斯拉有條不紊地(也可以說是戲劇性地)打造了一個電動汽車零售市場,并在這一領(lǐng)域占據(jù)了主導(dǎo)地位。一般的經(jīng)濟衰退不大可能讓這個已然成功的公司脫軌。但如果新冠疫情對經(jīng)濟造成更大的破壞,這個故事可能就會被大幅改寫,只是結(jié)果未卜。
摩根士丹利在3月11日的另一份報告中指出,原油市場便是一個明顯的威脅。在原油生產(chǎn)巨頭沙特與俄羅斯之間價格戰(zhàn)的推波助瀾下,新冠疫情引發(fā)了有史以來最大的油價跌幅。阿爾特曼認(rèn)為,疫情對全球經(jīng)濟的持續(xù)影響,例如制成品供應(yīng)鏈的縮短,將讓油價繼續(xù)在低位運行。燃油價格的降低也會削減司機購買電動汽車的意愿,因為它降低了內(nèi)燃機汽車的持有成本。
然而,摩根士丹利的分析師指出,這并非是一個嚴(yán)重的威脅,因為電動汽車購買的下一次爆發(fā)將源自于大型車隊的電動化,而私人購買將退居二線。阿爾特曼稱,與十年前相比,消費者認(rèn)為電動汽車的問題并不在于燃油成本,而是充電設(shè)施。在這一領(lǐng)域,特斯拉先進的專屬超級充電系統(tǒng)在同行業(yè)中可謂是鮮有敵手。
另一個風(fēng)險在于,經(jīng)濟嚴(yán)重的下滑可能對政府政策造成的沖擊,而這些政策可能對特斯拉的增長來說至關(guān)重要。如果嚴(yán)重的經(jīng)濟衰退給政府預(yù)算帶來壓力,那么包括德國、韓國在內(nèi)的諸多國家可能會削減為電動汽車買家提供的豐厚補貼,而補貼的削減又會導(dǎo)致銷量的減少,并減緩該行業(yè)在經(jīng)濟好轉(zhuǎn)時的恢復(fù)速度。受此影響,特斯拉將越發(fā)難以完成其大規(guī)模生產(chǎn)Model 3s和Model Ys,并以此維持利潤的目標(biāo)。
然而,阿爾特曼給出了完全相反的預(yù)測。她說:“疫情過后,重建基礎(chǔ)設(shè)施的決心將得到重振。這是一個巨大的機遇,能夠讓我們以不同的方式來思考人們的出行方式?!?/p>
這可能意味著政府會出臺新的大型動議,支持電動汽車充電網(wǎng)絡(luò)的建設(shè)、電池研發(fā),甚至是直接提升補貼。自由派智囊團Data for Progress認(rèn)為,新冠疫情消退后的經(jīng)濟刺激可能會依賴于此類碳減排舉措。盡管這類政策在當(dāng)前的美國不大可能會出現(xiàn),但領(lǐng)導(dǎo)層的變動或全球范圍內(nèi)的類似動議可能會創(chuàng)造一個真正有利于電動汽車行業(yè)恢復(fù)的環(huán)境,受益者不僅包括特斯拉,還包括經(jīng)濟的其他領(lǐng)域。(財富中文網(wǎng))
譯者:馮豐
審校:夏林
Tesla took the seemingly dire step of closing a car factory in Fremont, Calif., and a solar panel plant in Buffalo this week because of the coronavirus epidemic.
But despite its immediate struggles, many analysts consider the company’s long-term outlook to be surprisingly good. On March 19, just after announcing the closures, Morgan Stanley even went so far as to upgrade its rating on Tesla’s stock to the equivalent of a “hold,” from its equivalent of a “sell.” That’s largely because the stock has fallen to a more attractive price, but also because Morgan’s analysts, like some other observers, think the electric carmaker is well-positioned to navigate choppy waters.
Here’s why:
Wheels on the Ground
Obviously, Tesla’s Fremont plant closure will have a significant impact on business: The factory is the company’s biggest car producer. Morgan Stanley assumes the shutdown will last a month and reduce Tesla’s annual car deliveries by 30,000 in 2020 to 420,000 cars. That would still be a substantial increase from Tesla’s 2019 delivery of 367,000 vehicles, but still well short of its own prediction that?this year’s production would “comfortably exceed 500,000 units.”
Then there’s the demand question. Morgan Stanley’s analysis accepts Tesla’s claims that it has so many eager buyers, it can sell every car it produces. But there’s reason to question that assumption. Even before COVID-19 crashed the auto market, Tesla was facing headwinds like expiring tax credits for electric vehicles and rising competition.
And no one can predict with certainty the depth or length of the recession that is unfolding. It’s possible that the downturn in new car purchases, which has already begun, lasts two weeks, but it’s also possible it lasts four months. For the first time, Tesla could even wind up producing more cars than it can sell.
“If the industry takes a dive as a whole, people aren’t going to be running to spend money on a Tesla,” says Alyssa Altman, lead transportation analyst for Publicis Sapient, which does not have a financial position in Tesla.
Money in the Bank
But that worst-case scenario actually points to why Tesla is ultimately so well-positioned: It’s sitting on a massive cash reserve.
Above all, Tesla’s decision to raise an extra $2.3 billion from new stock sales in February is looking clairvoyant. That stock sold on Feb. 12 for $767.29 per share, then peaked just a week later at $917.42. Anxiety about the coronavirus in China, then the rest of the world, has driven the stock back down to $505 on Wednesday.
But Tesla still gets to keep the $2.3 billion, pushing its total cash reserves to a whopping $8.6 billion. In a recent SEC filing, Tesla also said it has approximately $3 billion in available lines of credit.
Tesla has some large outstanding obligations, which Pierre Ferragu of New Street Research estimates includes $2 billion in committed investment for factories in Shanghai and Berlin, and $1.5 billion in payments to suppliers. But even accounting for that money, at $600 million per quarter in net spending, Ferragu thinks Tesla can operate for 15 months without further investment.
While there are some restrictions on that $3 billion in credit, Tesla could extend the runway even further. On the other hand, declining demand could increase Tesla’s estimated cash burn. But there’s still a good chance Tesla’s runway is long enough to outlast the worst stretch of even a serious recession, then return to growth.
The Long After
Under CEO Elon Musk, Tesla has methodically, if somewhat theatrically, built a retail market for electric vehicles and taken a dominant position therein. An average recession wouldn’t likely derail that success. But if COVID-19 creates greater economic damage, the narrative could be drastically altered—for worse or for better.
As Morgan Stanley highlighted in a separate March 11 report, the oil market is one clear threat. With help from a price war between oil-producing giants Saudi Arabia and Russia, the coronavirus has triggered the sharpest drop in oil prices in memory. Altman believes that lasting global transformations from the coronavirus, such as shortened supply chains for manufactured goods, will keep those prices low. Cheaper gasoline could make drivers less likely to buy an EV, because it lowers the cost of owning an internal-combustion vehicle.
However, Morgan Stanley’s analysts say this is not a serious threat, because the next “burst” in EV adoption will be from large fleets going electric, with consumer adoption taking a back seat. And Altman says consumer thinking about EVs is less driven by gas costs than it was a decade ago, and more about charging infrastructure—an area where Tesla’s sophisticated and exclusive Supercharger system has an advantage over competitors.
Another risk is the impact a serious downturn could have on government initiatives that have been crucial to Tesla’s growth. If a serious recession pressures government budgets, cuts could threaten generous incentives given to EV buyers in countries from Germany to South Korea. The cuts would dampen sales and slow their return in a recovery, putting Tesla further away from the goal of producing Model 3s and Model Ys at the large scale necessary for sustained profits.
Altman, however, predicts quite the opposite. “The push to rebuild infrastructure is going to be renewed after this,” she says. “There’s a huge opportunity to think differently about how people move around.”
That could mean large new government initiatives to support EV-charging networks, battery research, or even increasing direct subsidies. Coronavirus recovery stimulus could be tied to such decarbonizing efforts, as proposed by liberal think tank Data for Progress. While politically unlikely in the present-day U.S., leadership changes or similar initiatives globally could set the stage for a truly electric recovery—for Tesla and the rest of the economy.