Robotaxi Flop Leaves Tesla’s Lofty Stock Multiple Looking Shaky

  • Stock down 7.5% since unveiling of self-driving taxi last week
  • Event was long on vision, short on revenue drivers: Bernstein
A prototype of the Tesla Inc. Cybercab autonomous vehicle.

Source: Tesla Inc.

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Tesla Inc.’s reveal of its much-hyped self-driving car last week left investors underwhelmed and sent shares plunging. The disappointment also left the Street questioning the shares’ premium valuation.

The so-called robotaxi is a dazzling promise that has been crucial to keeping Tesla’s stock at lofty heights. It’s also a key part of Elon Musk’s vision for the artificial-intelligence driven future of his company. But with numerous questions remaining about technical details of the vehicles and when they will be available, the shares — trading at 75 times forward earnings — are looking expensive to some.