Jim Cramer on Tesla (TSLA): “My Only Solution to It Is That SpaceX Has to Buy It”

On September 14, a caller asked for Mad Money's host Jim Cramer's thoughts on Tesla, Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA). He replied:

It's at $358. I don't know. I mean, I think that it got some approval in China. I thought it was going to bounce today. Right now, my only solution to it is that SpaceX has to buy it, period, end of story. But maybe they will.

Operational Scale And Autonomous Catalysts

Tesla, Inc.'s (NASDAQ:TSLA) second quarter financials show solid growth driven by record second-quarter vehicle deliveries and a surging energy storage business. Total revenue climbed 26% year-over-year to $28.24 billion, with total automotive revenue reaching $20.52 billion on deliveries of 480,126 vehicles. At the same time, energy storage deployments jumped 41% to reach 13.5 gigawatt-hours, generating $3.14 billion in revenue.

Apart from that, long-term valuation prospects rely heavily on progress in autonomous driving and robotics. Expanding full self-driving software adoption feeds the neural network data needed for broader robotaxi rollouts and Cybercab development. Meanwhile, Tesla is installing first-generation production lines for the Optimus humanoid robot at its Fremont facility, pointing toward potential applications beyond automotive manufacturing.

Cramer previously showed bullish sentiment on Tesla, Inc.'s (NASDAQ:TSLA) self-driving vehicles and robot development and has also discussed the possibility of SpaceX acquiring the company a while ago. During the May 26 episode, he commented:

When we think of Tesla, we think of cars, but we really should be thinking about self-driving vehicles and robots, which will be the big growth engines. Lots of people think that Elon Musk will merge this company with the soon-to-be-public SpaceX, where he has a dual-class structure that would allow him to break away from the noisome, unhappy Tesla shareholder base. I don't blame him if he does it.

Competitive Pressures And Margin Contraction

On the other hand, Tesla, Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA) faces intense international competition from global electric vehicle manufacturers, which has driven significant shifts in market share and compressed bottom-line profitability.

Despite stronger revenue and deliveries, Tesla's profitability remained under pressure as operating expenses increased sharply. GAAP operating income fell 57% year-over-year to $398 million during the second quarter, bringing the operating margin down to 1.4%. In addition, surging capital expenditures doubled to $5.79 billion due to heavy spending on artificial intelligence infrastructure and next-generation manufacturing lines, pushing quarterly free cash flow into negative $1.09 billion.