TSLA Investor Discussions

[Norbert]

Q3 guidance and then results will be the trigger for a significant movement either way. (IMHO)

Right, depending on where the production will be when they announce Q3 results, they will have more and better information to update the guidance for Q4 and 2012. Although, as the steep part of the ramp up was apparently planned for beginning of Q4, it may still be too early to give certain predictions about quantities.

[Norbert]

New Form 4 SEC filing;
Elon bought 5.3M shares @ $31.17

So for more than $150 million? A non-trivial amount.

[NigelM]

Right, depending on where the production will be when they announce Q3 results, they will have more and better information to update the guidance for Q4 and 2012. Although, as the steep part of the ramp up was apparently planned for beginning of Q4, it may still be too early to give certain predictions about quantities.

Q3 results will be announced well into October so they'll know what the Q4 production figures will be by then.

[NigelM]

New Form 4 SEC filing;
Elon bought 5.3M shares @ $31.17

So for more than $150 million? A non-trivial amount.

It's a 10 year stock option. He didn't buy them....(Yet). http://ir.teslamotors.com/secfiling....d=1494730-12-3

[Norbert]

It's a 10 year stock option. He didn't buy them....(Yet). http://ir.teslamotors.com/secfiling....d=1494730-12-3

At least it's an incentive to get the stock price above $31.17.

[Norbert]

Q3 results will be announced well into October so they'll know what the Q4 production figures will be by then.

It still leaves the whole of Nov and Dec for additional ramp-up (which Elon said is possible, above the rate of 20k per year).

[kenliles]

well yes and no; it's actually options at that price so no money changes hand right now, but it does help establish the market price per share of the stock since it's a large block of options;
term of the option is 10 years-
whoops - I see Nigel beat me to the punch above

[NigelM]

....it's actually options at that price so no money changes hand right now, but it does help establish the market price per share of the stock since it's a large block of options..

The options were granted on 8/13 and so they were fixed at the closing price on Monday ($31.17). The market price determines the option price, but the granting of options does nothing to establish the market price regardless of how many options there are.

[kenliles]

The options were granted on 8/13 and so they were fixed at the closing price on Monday ($31.17). The market price determines the option price, but the granting of options does nothing to establish the market price regardless of how many options there are.

my experience in public traded 'start up' is different. When the market price is determined largely on confidence of management and future profitability, the willingness of major executives to accept large option blocks for their efforts at current market evaluations add to the confidence that the stock is based on. No one, including myself is saying these options reflect the market price- but they most definitely help establish the market share price when that share price is based largely on future potential and the management ability and belief to get it there.

[joefee]

The options were granted on 8/13 and so they were fixed at the closing price on Monday ($31.17). The market price determines the option price, but the granting of options does nothing to establish the market price regardless of how many options there are.

+1
I can't tell you how many options I had working for many tech companies that never made the option grant price ("under water options"). This grant is nice PR but does not change the short term fundamentals. What has been an increasing worry for me is why insiders are still net sellers of their options at this point (see data below for last 6 months). Also alarming is why do key executives like George B [only 200 shares] & Deepak [980 shares] have so few shares. I get the auto sell to comply with insider trading rules, portfolio diversification, etc. but I can't understand why they would not retain a significant number of TSLA shares with the growth path the company is on.

Am I missing something here ??? I hope this data is incomplete (like it is for Elon). Tell me it isn't so that I have more shares then the bottom 4 insiders !!!

Top Insiders Fidelity.com (does not include Elon’s 33% stake held in trusts)

Name Position Total Holdings Last Transaction Type Last Transaction Date
GRACIAS, ANTONIO J. Director 88,762.00 Sell 05/14/12
STRAUBEL, JEFFREY B. CTO 79,634.00 Automatic Sell 03/26/12
BUSS, BRAD W. Director 11,764.00 Buy 07/02/10
MUSK, KIMBAL Director 3,992.00 Automatic Sell 02/02/12
EHRENPREIS, IRA M Director 3,446.00 Acquisition (Non Open Market) 12/09/11
AHUJA, DEEPAK CFO 980.00 Option Execute 07/16/12
PASSIN, GILBERT Vice President 329.00 Option Execute 07/16/12
BLANKENSHIP, GEORGE VP 200.00 --
WHITAKER, E General Counsel 0.00 --

Predictive Insiders

Name Position Buyer / Seller Avg 6-Month Return Total Holdings Last Transaction Date
GRACIAS, ANTONIO J. Director Seller +22.67% 33,333.00 05/14/12

TSLA Insider Transactions | Tesla Motors, Inc. Stock - Yahoo! Finance

Tesla Motors, Inc. (TSLA) -NasdaqGS
29.19 0.23(0.78%) 11:51AM EDT 8/15/2012- Nasdaq Real Time Price

Get Insider Transactions for:
Net Share Purchase Activity
Insider Purchases - Last 6 Months
Shares # Trans

Purchases 0

Sales 1,186,290 29

Net Shares Purchased
(Sold) (1,186,290) 29

Total Insider Shares Held 47.22M
% Net Shares Purchased (Sold) (2.5%)
Net Institutional Purchases - Prior Qtr to Latest Qtr
Net Shares Purchased (Sold) 757,501
% Change in Institutional Shares Held 1.2%