Tesla beat third-quarter earnings estimates, but the bigger surprise was spending: free cash flow came in at $1.9 billion instead of a $4.9 billion burn, and capex was around $4.7 billion versus $7.9 billion expected. Tesla now sees capex at $20 billion for the year, down from $25 billion previously, and the CFO said the company is deploying capital more efficiently and funding more spending from operations. The hosts said investors worry Tesla may be missing out on AI spending on Optimus, robotaxis and Terafab. Musk said Optimus will ship to corporate customers at the end of next year and that 2027 spending will be more normal, though spending could rise by tens of billions in 2028, while a version three promised for July has not yet appeared. Energy generation and storage revenue came in far below estimates, ending a period of strength for that business.
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TSLAElon Muskcapital expenditureelectric vehicles
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Related tickers and likely impact
TSLA
▼ Likely negativeTesla, Inc.
Relevance: medium
| Market | US stocks |
|---|---|
| Sector | Consumer Discretionary |
| Industry | Automobile Manufacturers |
| Market cap | $1.4T |
| Close on 10/21/2026 | 386.55 |
| Change that session | +3.44% |
Impact is scored by AI from the headline and may be wrong. It is not investment advice.
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