Tesla Motors Inc (TSLA) Fan: “I feel like one of those Apple fan boys”

Updated on

Tesla Motors Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA) is currently one of the most hyped companies on the Wall Street. The electric car maker’s share price has risen 72 percent this month so far. Analysts remain confused over the future of Tesla Motors, some making bullish calls, others bearish and still others uncertain. Wall Street has been skeptical of Tesla Motors’ mission of making commercially viable electric cars. Amid all this frenzy, a small-time Tesla investor is smiling as his money has more than tripled over the last eight months.

Tesla Motors Inc (TSLA) Fan: "I feel like one of those Apple fan boys"

Sam Cornwell’s Story

Sam Cornwell, a 32-year old British student who lives with his wife and a 10-month old son, told the Wall Street Journal that he invested his entire personal life savings of about $25,000 in Tesla Motors Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA) in September 2012. Tesla traded at $27.50 when Cornwell invested his money.  After he read about the company in newspaper, did his research and learned more about Elon Musk, he was just blown away.

Cornwell told the Wall Street Journal on Thursday in a phone chat that he is not an analyst or stock market expert. He simply reads the news and believes in the story. But this approach turns scary most of the time. Individual investors get carried away by the high profile stocks and end up losing everything they have. Remember the Facebook Inc. (NASDAQ:FB) IPO debacle? One man got carried away by the hype surrounding Facebook’s high profile IPO, and poured the money he had saved for his daughter’s education into company shares. The result? Facebook is still trading far below its IPO price.

Tesla Motors Inc. (TSLA) Dream Run

However, Cornwell’s story turned out to be entirely different. Tesla Motors Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA) is generating the same cult-like following as Apple Inc did a few years ago. “I feel like one of those Apple fan boys talking about the company,” Cornwell said. “I finally understand what those guys have been talking about.”

Tesla Motors Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA), which sold 4,900 vehicles in the first quarter, is currently valued at $10.2 billion. Since the beginning of 2013, Tesla shares started pushing higher. Until March, it traded between $35 and $40. Then on April 1, the electric car maker surprised Wall Street by announcing that it expects a first quarter profit due to strong sales of its Model S cars. Shares surged 16 percent on the same day. And now it’s trading around $90.

Cornwell says he isn’t worried about short-term obstacles that may damage his returns. However, he said that if he thought there is a serious problem with Tesla Motors Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA), he would exit the stock. Cornwell says he is addicted to Tesla, and talks about it all the time with his wife. He doesn’t plan to sell the stock just yet. In fact, he is planning to buy more Tesla shares to gift his son on his first birthday.

Leave a Comment