Tesla's still not making big profits and probably won't for years — but analysts and investors still love it

The analysts still bullish on Tesla said they're looking at the long run. Quarterly hiccups won't deter their optimism.

• Tesla's second-quarter earnings call missed estimates. The company is also delaying its Robotaxi unveiling.
• The company faced layoffs, executive departures, and declining car sales in the first half of 2024.
• But at least three Tesla experts remain bullish on the EV maker.

Tesla has had an exceptionally rocky first half of the year.

It saw layoffs, executive departures, and Cybertruck recalls. Investors questioned Elon Musk's commitment to Tesla and his hefty pay package. Tesla reported two straight quarters of declining car sales and its stock was down over 40% year-to-date in April, though it's since recovered.

The electric vehicle maker's second-quarter earnings report on Tuesday only added to investor concerns: It missed earnings estimates and reiterated a delay in its much-awaited Robotaxi unveiling in its earnings call.

Tesla stock fell nearly 8% after-hours on Tuesday.

But some analysts say they still love the company. They're looking at the long run, and quarterly hiccups won't deter their optimism.

"I'm still in the camp that they're going to deliver on these," Gene Munster, managing partner at Deepwater Asset Management, said on CNBC on Tuesday. "They won't deliver it on time, but ultimately, no other car company is doing what Tesla is doing, and I think this is still going to move higher."

Munster said he is optimistic about the carmaker's automation, fully driving software, and Optimus — Tesla's humanoid robot.

"There are other companies that are $3 trillion market caps — I think Tesla can be in that league," he said. "Today is not the day to be thinking about this, with these ugly margins, but I think the company is firmly on track with where the world is going."

Other experts echoed Munster's reactions.

One analyst at ARK Invest said that she's betting on Robotaxis, because she thinks they will make over 90% of Tesla's enterprise value in the next five years.

Tasha Keeney, a director at longtime Tesla investor ARK Invest, said on CNBC on Tuesday that ignoring Robotaxis today is a huge mistake.

"Ultimately it's an AI play," she said.

Another analyst sees Tesla's recent price hikes as a good sign.

"Price cuts appear to be mostly done with price increases in some regions/models seen the last few weeks, wrote Wedbush analyst and Tesla optimist Daniel Ives in a note the day before earnings.

To be sure, not all analysts share such bullish stances on the EV giant.

Ron Jewsikow, a Guggenheim analyst, said on CNBC that he is not worried about whether Tesla will be able to deliver its Robotaxis. He's more concerned about whether Robotaxis will be an attractive option to riders, given they are likely to be more expensive than Chinese self-driving competitors.

In China, Apollo, which is owned by Baidu, is offering rides for just over 10 cents a mile, Jewsikow said.

"Most Robotaxi bulls will view that as a very blue sky scenario for Robotaxi models," he said.