Author: Chris Katje

Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META) could highlight its progress in artificial intelligence when it reports first-quarter financial results after market close Wednesday.

Here are the analyst earnings estimates, what experts are saying ahead of the report and key items to watch.

Earnings Estimates: Analysts expect Meta Platforms to report first-quarter revenue of $41.39 billion. That’s up from $36.45 billion, according to data from Benzinga Pro.

The social media and technology company has beaten analyst estimates for revenue in 10 straight quarters.

Analysts expect the company to report first-quarter earnings per share of $5.28, up from $4.71 in last year’s first quarter. The company has beaten analyst estimates for earnings per share in eight straight quarters.

Previous guidance from the company calls for first-quarter revenue to be in a range of $39.5 billion to $41.8 billion.

Read Also: Meta Q1 Earnings On Deck: Expert Sees Growth At A ‘Reasonable Price’

What Experts Are Saying: With the potential of downward revisions to fiscal 2025 guidance for revenues, margins, EPS and free cash flow, Needham analyst Laura Martin recently reiterated an Underperform rating on Meta Platforms.

Martin said there is also concern that there could be upward revisions to capital expenditures and losses at the company’s Reality Labs division. Her estimate for first-quarter revenue is $40.5 billion and earnings per share of $4.82. Both figures are below the analyst consensus estimates.

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg testified in the FTC antitrust trial that the amount of time people spend on Facebook and Instagram has “gone down meaningfully,” Martin recalled.

Freedom Capital Markets Chief Global Strategist Jay Woods said the key questions ahead of earnings revolve around advertising spending by Chinese companies, AI initiatives and their contribution to growth and how much time daily active users are spending on Meta’s platforms.

“Meta shares are 26% below their 52-week highs and currently embroiled in litigation which has taken CEO Mark Zuckerberg away from his daily activities,” Woods said.

Here are other recent analyst ratings on Meta Platforms and their price targets:

• Loop Capital: Maintained Buy rating, lowered price target from $900 to $695
• Stifel: Maintained Buy rating, lowered price target from $740 to $628
• Benchmark: Maintained Buy rating, lowered price target from $820 to $640
• Scotiabank: Maintained Sector Perform rating, lowered price target from $627 to $525
• Morgan Stanley: Maintained Overweight rating, lowered price target from $660 to $615

Key Items to Watch: Meta likely won’t discuss its ongoing antitrust litigation. Still, commentary on growth or usage of Instagram and WhatsApp could provide key given these segments could be forced to be spun out from the company in the future.

In the fourth quarter, total revenue was up 21% year-over-year for the company. Investors and analysts will be looking for some of the positive momentum to continue in the first quarter in areas like daily active users, ad impressions and average price per ad.

With the macroeconomic environment and tariff concerns, there is the possibility that Meta Platforms saw lower advertising demand.

Costs and expenses will be another key topic with a recent report saying the company was laying off people from its Reality Labs division, on top of a large company-wide headcount reduction in February.

Progress with AI initiatives is likely to be a large focus from investors and analysts in the company commentary and during the earnings call.

“We continue to make good progress on AI, glasses and the future of social media. I’m excited to see these efforts scale further in 2025,” Zuckerberg said after fourth-quarter results.  

On Tuesday, Meta hosted its first ever Gen-AI developer conference called LlamaCon. Among the highlights of the event was the introduction of AI assistant Meta AI, which could be a ChatGPT competitor with a standalone app.

“We’re launching the first version of the Meta AI app: the assistant that gets to know your preferences, remembers context and is personalized to you,” the company said.

Meta AI is being used across all Meta platforms. The launch of a standalone AI app will likely be a highlight for the company and could be a focus in Wednesday’s commentary.

META Price Action: Meta Platforms stock is up 0.3% to $551.25 on Tuesday versus a 52-week trading range of $427.20 to $740.89. Meta stock is down 8.1% year-to-date and up 27.3% over the last year.

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Technology giant Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) could be one of the most-watched stocks for the week when the company reports third-quarter financial results after market close Wednesday.

Here are the earnings estimates, a look at what analysts are saying and key items to watch.

Earnings Estimates: Analysts expect Microsoft to report third-quarter revenue of $68.44 billion, up from $61.86 billion in last year’s third quarter, according to data from Benzinga Pro.

The company has beaten analyst revenue estimates in eight straight quarters and nine of the last 10 quarters overall.

Analysts expect Microsoft to report third-quarter earnings per share of $3.22, up from $2.94 in last year’s third quarter. Microsoft has beaten analyst earnings per share estimates in 10 straight quarters.

What Experts Are Saying: Freedom Capital Markets Chief Global Strategist Jay Woods emphasized the importance of Microsoft’s financial results in a weekly newsletter.

“Considering we are dealing with the top market caps in the world, their price impact will move the markets. All but META are in both the Dow and S&P 500 and all four stocks are the top holdings in their specific sector ETFs,” Woods said of Meta Platforms, Microsoft, Apple and Amazon.com.

Woods said all four have recently hit bear market territory and have “much room to reverse to get back to old highs.”

“MSFT shares are 16% below their highs and flat for the last year. The company continues to spend on AI and investors want to see how this investment is being integrated into their product suite and what impact that will have on revenue.”

Woods said another key focus will be on Microsoft’s cloud services performance. “Growth with Azure is expected to bolster its cloud operations.”

Wedbush analyst Dan Ives recently highlighted Microsoft as one of several software stocks that could be part of what he called a “security blanket” from the “Category 5” storm that includes trade wars, tariffs and geopolitical uncertainties.

He noted that with the supply chain “visibly clouded,” companies with software are a safer bet, with Microsoft being one example. The analyst also said the “AI party is just getting started,” with a prediction of $1 trillion in incremental spending for the sector over the next decade helping companies like Microsoft.

Goldman Sachs analyst Kash Rangan was one of several analysts to cut the price target on Microsoft stock ahead of earnings, taking the target from $500 to $400 while reiterating a Buy rating.

The analyst said Microsoft still remains a compelling name in software but is concerned about several potential near-term headwinds.

Rangan is specifically cautious about Microsoft’s guidance as there could be “some downside risk” if non-AI growth slows.

KeyBanc Capital analyst Jackson Ader recently downgraded Microsoft stock from “Overweight” to “Sector Weight” with no price target.

The analyst said some durable macro themes could play out during the on-calendar season for Microsoft, with caution in the company’s guidance.

While the current quarter was holding up fine, conversations with Microsoft marketing partners indicated concerns for the rest of the year, Ader said.

Key Items to Watch: Cloud and AI are likely to be the most-watched segments in Microsoft’s earnings report, along with items to watch for management commentary.

In the second quarter, Microsoft’s Intelligent Cloud segment saw revenue increase by 19% year-over-year.

“We are innovating across our tech stack and helping customers unlock the full ROI of AI to capture the massive opportunity ahead,” Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said after second-quarter results.

Nadella said Microsoft’s AI business had surpassed an annual run rate of $13 billion.

As mentioned by Woods, Microsoft could be one of the most important stocks for the week due to its presence in several top indexes. The stock report could make the SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (SPY) and SPDR Dow Jones Industrial Average ETF (NYSE:DIA) ETFs volatile.

Microsoft is the second-largest holding in the SPY at 6.2% of assets and is the third-largest holding in the DIA at 6.0% of assets.

MSFT Price Action: Microsoft stock is up 0.6% to $393.35 on Tuesday versus a 52-week trading range of $344.79 to $468.35. Microsoft stock is down 6.0% year-to-date in 2025 and down 2.2% over the last year.

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Photo: Shutterstock

Starbucks Corporation (NASDAQ:SBUX) could show how the macroeconomic environment is affecting consumers who buy their daily coffee at restaurants or opt to brew it at home when the company reports its second-quarter financial results on Thursday after the market close.

Earnings Estimates: Analysts expect Starbucks to report second-quarter revenue of $8.86 billion, up from $8.56 billion in the same quarter last year, according to data from Benzinga Pro.

The company beat Street consensus estimates in the first quarter while missing estimates in four of the last five quarters. Over the last 10 quarters, the coffee company has missed analyst estimates six times.

Analysts expect the company to report second-quarter earnings per share of 50 cents, down from 68 cents per share in last year’s second quarter.

The company beat first-quarter earnings per share estimates while missing estimates in three of the last five quarters. Over the last 10 quarters, the coffee company has beaten analyst estimates five times.

Read Also: Coke Vs. Coffee: Can Coca-Cola Stay Fizzy? Starbucks’ Rebound After Earnings?

What Analysts Are Saying: Many analysts have been lowering price targets on Starbucks ahead of the quarterly financial results.

Other analysts are mixed with some upgrades and downgrades ahead of the report.

Jefferies analyst Andy Barish recently upgraded Starbucks stock from Underperform to Hold with a price target of $76.

The analyst said Starbucks could have a modest earnings rebound over the next two years with a new CFO and a lack of formal guidance. Barish said the rebound could take time to show results.

A “Back to Starbucks” initiative and new CEO Brian Niccol could lead to investments in new areas as the company works to achieve a goal of four-minute service for customers.

While Barish said the recovery could take longer than many investors anticipate, the analyst said the stock valuation looks reasonable, trading at around 20 times estimated fiscal 2027 earnings.

Here are other recent analyst ratings on Starbucks and their price targets:

• Barclays: Maintained Overweight rating, lowered price target from $124 to $106
• Wells Fargo: Maintained Overweight rating, lowered price target from $125 to $100
• Stifel: Maintained Buy rating, lowered price target from $114 to $103
• Citigroup: Maintained Neutral rating, lowered price target from $100 to $88.
• Baird: Downgraded from Outperform to Neutral, lowered the price target from $114 to $85

Key Items to Watch: One of the key items to watch for Starbuck’s financial results will likely be store traffic and same-store sales. On February 10, Starbucks offered free coffee to reward members for “Starbucks Monday.”

The date, which came the day after the Super Bowl, saw foot traffic spike 26% over the average Monday, according to data from Placer.ai. The promotion likely led to increased store spending, as some may have offset the free coffee by spending on other food and beverage items.

More importantly, the promotion likely led to an increase in the company’s loyalty program membership, which could be highlighted in the current quarter.

Another Placer.ai survey showed that coffee chains are seeing increased visit rates in the first calendar quarter of 2025. The bad news is that Starbucks saw a 0.9% drop in visits during the time period, according to the report.

Smaller coffee chains like 7 Brew Coffee, Scooter’s Coffee and Dutch Bros Inc (NYSE:BROS) could be eating market share from Starbucks, according to the report. Publicly traded Dutch Bros saw a 13.4% year-over-year gain in visit rates in the first calendar quarter, which could be good news ahead of their first-quarter financial results, due on May 7.

Starbucks had declines in comparable stores across North America, international locations and China in the first fiscal quarter. Analysts and investors will be closely monitoring to see if sales improved in any of the regions.

Analysts and investors will also be hoping for an update on reports the coffee chain is exploring a sale of its China business. An update on the process could send shares higher as analysts grasp the valuation metric and interested parties become aware of the segment.

SBUX Price Action: Starbucks stock is up 0.2% to $83.94 on Monday versus a 52-week trading range of $71.55 to $117.46. Starbucks stock is down 9.0% year-to-date in 2025 and down 5% over the last year.

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Photo: Shutterstock

An Apple Inc (NASDAQ:AAPL) analyst says results will be “better-than-feared” when the technology giant reports second-quarter financial results Thursday.

The Apple Analyst: JPMorgan analyst Samik Chatterjee maintained an Overweight rating on Apple with a $245 price target.

The Analyst Takeaways: Chatterjee said in a new investor note that fears of demand disruption and cost headwinds from tariffs on China could weigh on Apple stock ahead of quarterly earnings.

Read Also: Apple Stock Can Brush Off Tariff Concerns, Analyst Says Q2 Beat Coming Thanks To iPhone Demand

“We are positive on AAPL shares with a near-term view into a positive set up into earnings with the likelihood of better-than-feared outcomes in relation to both revenues and gross margins,” Chatterjee said.

The analyst expects “modest pull-forward” in demand thanks to consumer upgrades and channel inventory fill.

Chatterjee said revenue will likely be stronger than expected in the second quarter, and momentum could carry over into the third quarter.

Expect Apple to guide to low-single to mid-single-digit revenue growth for the third quarter, he said. The analyst sees lower downside risk for the full financial year than investors expect. Tariffs remain a “significant uncertainty,” but Apple’s history could overcome the weakness.

“The resilience of revenue and earnings estimates as well as a proven track record of earnings protection in downturns remains key to investors still looking at AAPL shares favorably despite the uncertainty.”

Chatterjee said the company’s earnings and guidance could show Apple’s resilience in the face of tariff worries and the macro environment.

Services growth, AI opportunities and the new iPhone 17 cycle are catalysts that provide “limited downside risks over the medium term,” Chatterjee said.

AAPL Price Action: Apple stock is down 0.6% to $207.96 on Monday versus a 52-week trading range of $169.11 to $260.09. Apple stock is down 14.7% year-to-date in 2025, while shares remain up 19.9% over the last year.

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Image: Shutterstock

Tech giant Alphabet Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) (NASDAQ:GOOGL) is set to report quarterly financial results Thursday after market close as the company faces a key antitrust case that could change the structure of the company’s business segments moving forward.

Here are the analyst estimates for the first quarter, what analysts are saying and key items to watch.

Earnings Estimates: Analysts expect Alphabet to report first-quarter revenue of $88.87 billion, up from $80.54 billion in last year’s first quarter, according to data from Benzinga Pro.

The company has beaten analyst estimates for revenue in eight straight quarters.

Analysts expect Alphabet to report first-quarter earnings per share of $2.02, up from $1.89 in last year’s first quarter. The company has beaten analyst estimates for earnings per share in eight straight quarters.

Read Also: Alphabet CEO Pichai Warns Employees Of High Stakes 2025: ‘We Are Facing Scrutiny Across The World’

What Experts Are Saying: Alphabet’s advertising revenue could provide an earnings surprise, Navellier & Associates chairman Louis Navellier said in a recent podcast.

“Well, their sales are forecasted to go up 10.7%, and earnings are forecast to grow 7%. Google does not provide any guidance whatsoever, but it has a very good earnings surprise history. I think what everybody’s going to be looking at is their advertising revenue very carefully,” Navellier said.

Bank of America analyst Justin Post recently maintained a Buy rating on Alphabet with a price target of $185.

The analyst said that the Street has been lowering expectations for Alphabet, which could mean an in-line quarter or beat comes across as a positive.

Needham analyst Laura Martin highlighted Alphabet’s large language models as a key upside valuation driver ahead of earnings.

The analyst recently reiterated a Buy rating with a $178 price target.

Martin said generative AI will help increase Alphabet’s revenue growth. The company’s segments, like Google’s search engine and YouTube, give Alphabet’s large language models a competitive advantage, Martin said.

Freedom Capital Markets chief global strategist Jay Woods said Alphabet is making headlines due to ongoing antitrust litigation and competition in search from the likes of ChatGPT.

“Shares have been under pressure all year and find themselves at a fork-in-the-road coming into their Thursday number,” Woods said in a weekly newsletter.

Woods said Alphabet stock rallied and paused at the end of 2024.

“That level of prior resistance now became support in textbook fashion. Shares rallied from there to make new all-time highs. Then, they failed again.”

Woods said Alphabet stock shows a favorable risk/reward scenario with the potential to break down to the $140.50 and $136 levels, while the upside shows “smooth sailing” to the 50-week moving average above $172.

“It may take a strong beat and guide in this macro environment to push much higher, but the lines are set as we head into this busy week of earnings.”

Key Items to Watch: One of the biggest items to watch with Alphabet stock remains the ongoing antitrust case with the Department of Justice.

Alphabet will likely be forced to sell or spin off its Chrome segment, with the DOJ finding Alphabet in violation of antitrust laws. The company could be forced to end its search deals with smartphone companies like Apple as well.

While Alphabet is unlikely to comment on the pending case, any commentary on what comes next or if the company discusses businesses in more separate lines than usual could signal future plans.

Google Search and YouTube were bright spots in the fourth-quarter results. Investors and analysts will look for these key indicators to show strength in the Q1 results and in future guidance. Google Cloud also posted strong growth in the fourth quarter.

“Together, Cloud and YouTube exited 2024 at an annual run rate of $110 billion. Our results show the power of our differentiated full-stack approach to AI innovation and the continued strength of our core business,” Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai said after fourth-quarter results.

Alphabet’s results could put pressure on several top ETFs, as the stock is a member of the Magnificent Seven and one of the largest companies in the world.

Alphabet is the third-largest holding in the Roundhill Magnificent Seven ETF (BATS: MAGS) at 14.9%. The company is also one of the largest holdings in the Invesco QQQ Trust (NASDAQ:QQQ), with Class A shares being the ninth-largest holding at 2.6% and Class C shares being the 11th-largest holding at 2.5%.

GOOGL Price Action: Alphabet stock was up 2.6% to $155.35 on Wednesday versus a 52-week trading range of $140.53 to $207.05. Alphabet stock is down 18% year-to-date in 2025.

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International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM) is likely to highlight its AI business segments, recent product launches and a new acquisition when the company reports its first-quarter financial results after the market close Wednesday.

Here are the analyst estimates, analyst commentary and key items to watch ahead of the results.

Earnings Estimates: Analysts expect IBM to report first-quarter revenue of $14.40 billion, down from $14.46 billion in last year’s first quarter, according to data from Benzinga Pro.

The company beat analyst revenue estimates in the fourth quarter and has beaten estimates in six of the last 10 quarters.

Analysts expect IBM to report first-quarter earnings per share of $1.40, down from $1.68 in last year’s first quarter. The company has beaten analyst estimates for earnings per share in eight straight quarters and nine of the last 10 quarters overall.

Read Also: IBM Posts Q4 Earnings Beat, Shifts Focus To Software As Analysts Raise Forecasts

What Experts Are Saying: Wedbush analyst Daniel Ives recently highlighted IBM as a company that could benefit from enterprise AI spending in 2025.

The analyst said IBM’s cloud penetration has been successful and could represent a monetization opportunity for the company. IBM was added to the Wedbush Best Ideas List in March.

In February, Oppenheimer analyst Param Singh initiated coverage on IBM with an Outperform rating and a $320 price target.

The analyst said IBM can sustain double-digit revenue growth in its software business thanks to Red Hat. Singh said Red Hat has broadened its product offerings and could see high-teen to 20% growth.

Singh also highlighted IBM’s potential in AI applications, such as generative AI, for future growth opportunities.

Stephanie Link of Hightower Advisors highlighted IBM as a company in the software and services segment with recurring revenue and minimal exposure to global shocks given the current trade war climate.

Link highlighted IBM’s low 1% exposure to reciprocal tariffs, compared to 43% for Apple and also said IBM’s aggressive acquisition pace in areas like AI and cloud could help power future growth.

Key Items to Watch: Artificial intelligence is likely to be a key topic when IBM reports its first-quarter results.

Analysts and investors will also be looking to hear more about the company’s exposure to countries that are facing reciprocal tariffs from Donald Trump’s administration.

IBM’s consulting and infrastructure segments saw a weak fourth quarter with revenue down year-over-year for both segments. Analysts and investors could be looking to see if these segments rebound in the first quarter.

Since the end of the fourth quarter, IBM has announced new products like the IBM z17, which blends AI features across software and hardware.

The z17 can address AI workloads and real-time processing needs for IBM customers. The product launches in June 2025.

IBM also announced it broadened its cloud offerings in Canada, which is part of a strategy to boost North American growth through AI-powered solutions.

“With our latest advancements in Canada, we are extending IBM’s enterprise cloud platform and sovereign cloud capabilities to Canadian organizations in these sectors, helping them to address their local regulatory requirements, keeping data secured and maintain it in country,” said GM for IBM Cloud Product & Industry Platforms, Rohit Badlaney.

IBM also recently announced it has acquired Hakkoda Inc, a deal that could enhance the company’s consulting business segment for data transformation services.

Price Action: IBM stock is up 3% to $248.10 on Wednesday versus a 52-week trading range of $162.62 to $266.45. IBM stock is up 12.8% year-to-date in 2025 and up over 36% in the last year.

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Photo: Shutterstock

Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA) investors are hoping to get more answers on where things stand with FSD, new electric vehicle models and the impact of tariffs when the company reports its first-quarter financial results on Tuesday after the market close.

Here are the earnings estimates, what analysts and experts are saying and the key items to watch.

Earnings Estimates: Analysts expect Tesla to report first-quarter revenue of $21.35 billion, up from $21.30 billion in last year’s first quarter, according to data from Benzinga Pro.

Analysts expect the company to report first-quarter earnings per share of 41 cents, down from 45 cents in last year’s first quarter. The company beat earnings per share estimates in the fourth quarter.

Tesla has missed analyst estimates for earnings per share in five of the last six quarters and six of the last 10 quarters overall.

Read Also: Here’s How Many Vehicles Tesla Has Delivered, Produced In Each Quarter Since 2019

What Experts Are Saying: Tesla sales are falling, especially in Europe and CEO Elon Musk’s focus could be elsewhere, said Jay Woods, Freedom Capital Markets chief global strategist.

“Tesla remains one of the most volatile and discussed stocks in the world. Elon Musk’s political bent has made this stock a lightning rod of discussion,” Woods said in a weekly newsletter.

Woods wrote that Tesla stock made a full reversal since its “post-election rally” and is poised to move again. “This is not an ideal looking chart for the bulls as key levels of support have been breached, the near-term trend is lower and the long-term trend is a volatile mess.”

Woods said the key could be how Tesla’s numbers look and if any guidance is given.

“It is not an ideal risk/reward set-up going into the numbers,” he adds, while cautioning that the stock could fall to August 2024 lows around $180 if there is weakness.

Analysts have been lowering price targets on Tesla ahead of its first-quarter financial results, following the release of first-quarter deliveries that missed an analyst estimate of more than 377,000 units.

Wedbush analyst Daniel Ives, who is among the biggest bulls on Tesla, has been arguing that Musk should be focusing more time on Tesla.

RBC Capital analyst Tom Narayan maintained an Outperform rating on Tesla while lowering the price target from $440 to $320 in March. The analyst argued that demand fears could be overblown at the time, but also lowered pricing assumptions for FSD and the penetration rates of Robotaxis.

Cantor Fitzgerald’s Andres Sheppard was one of the lone Tesla analysts to upgrade the stock in recent months, moving it from Neutral to Overweight with a $425 price target last month.

The upgrade came after visiting Tesla’s Austin Gigafactory and the company’s AI data centers. Sheppard said Tesla’s stock had an attractive entry point at the time ahead of catalysts like the Robotaxi introduction, the rollout of Full Self-Driving, a lower-priced vehicle and Optimus Bot production.

While Sheppard upgraded Tesla stock, he called for a “mild” first quarter for the company, seeing demand weakness and negative sentiment surrounding Musk’s political stance.

Here are other recent Tesla analyst ratings and price targets.

• Piper Sandler: Maintained Overweight rating, lowered price target from $450 to $400
• UBS: Maintained Sell rating, lowered price target from $225 to $190
• Mizuho: Maintained Outperform rating, lowered price target from $430 to $375
• Benchmark: Maintained Buy rating, lowered price target from $475 to $350
• Wedbush: Maintained Outperform rating, lowered price target from $550 to $315
• Goldman Sachs; Maintained Neutral rating, lowered price target from $320 to $275

Key Items to Watch: After missing analyst estimates for first-quarter deliveries, any guidance from the company for full-year deliveries will be closely watched by analysts and investors. The company previously said it expected to return to growth for its vehicle business in 2025, but that could now be out of reach.

“The rate of growth will depend on a variety of factors, including the rate of acceleration of our autonomy efforts, production ramp at our factories and the broader macroeconomic environment,” the company previously said.

Updates on new vehicles, including more affordable models, will also be closely watched, as the company previously said it remained on track for production in the first half of 2025.

Tariffs and macroeconomic conditions remain concerns for the company, as evidenced by some of the top requested shareholder questions for the first quarter.

The top vote-getters for questions center on several topics, including FSD, Robotaxis, tariffs, and new models. There are numerous questions on tariffs and macroeconomic concerns. While Tesla may be better positioned to handle tariffs on countries like Canada and Mexico, investors are still worried about their impact.

While Tesla assembles and sells its EVs in the U.S., the company imports parts for several vehicles. This week, the company announced it was suspending plans to ship parts from China for the Cybercab and Tesla Semi.

A top question on “brand damage” could also be significant. Multiple studies and reports have shown that sales have declined and the company’s brand has suffered since Musk’s political involvement in politics grew.

TSLA Price Action: Tesla stock was down 6% to $227.42 on Monday versus a 52-week trading range of $138.80 to $488.54. Tesla stock is down 40% year-to-date in 2025, while shares remain up 60.1% over the last year.

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Photo: Shutterstock

Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA) will answer top shareholder questions and provide updates on April 22, when the electric vehicle company reports its first-quarter financial results.

Here’s a look at the top questions from shareholders.

What Happened: Shareholders can suggest and vote on topics for Tesla CEO Elon Musk and other executives to discuss. This includes full self-driving capabilities.

According to a Teslarati report, over 6,000 shareholders submitted questions or voted on questions for the first-quarter earnings call.

The votes represent more than 2.5 million of the company’s shares. While the question rankings could change, here are the current top 10 shareholder questions ranked by the number of shares.

1. When will FSD unsupervised be available for personal use on personally-owned cars?
2. Is Tesla still on track for releasing “more affordable models” this year? Or will you be focusing on simplified versions to enhance affordability, similar to the RWD Cybertruck?
3. How is Tesla positioning itself to flexibility adapt to global economic risks in the form of tariffs, political biases, etc.?
4. Did Tesla experience any meaningful changes in order inflow rate in Q1 relating to all of the rumors of “brand damage”?
5. Does Tesla still have a battery supply constraint and how does this change with tariffs?
6. Robotaxi still on track for this year?
7. Regarding the Optimus pilot line, could you confirm if it is currently operational? If so, what is the current production rate of Optimus bots per week? Additionally, how might the recent tariffs impact the scalability of this production line moving forward?
8. Can you provide more details on the plans for the HW3 upgrade path for FSD?
9. What is the plan to achieve the Whitehouse stated goal of doubling deliveries in 2 years based on specific market segments and regional factory contributions?
10. When do you expect Robotaxi to expand to all major US cities?

The top vote getters for questions center on several topics including FSD, Robotaxis, tariffs and new models. Notice there are numerous questions on tariffs and macroeconomic concerns. While Tesla may be better positioned to handle tariffs on countries like Canada and Mexico, investors are still worried about their impact.

While Tesla assembles and sells its EVs within the U.S., the company imports parts for several vehicles. This week, the company announced it was suspending plans to ship parts from China for the Cybercab and Tesla Semi.

The question on “brand damage” could also be significant. Multiple studies and reports have shown that sales have declined and that the company’s brand has suffered a loss since Musk’s political push grew.

Read Also: Here’s How Many Vehicles Tesla Has Delivered, Produced In Each Quarter Since 2019

What’s Next: Tesla will report first-quarter financial results after market close Tuesday, April 22 and hold an earnings call shortly after.

Analysts expect the company to report first-quarter revenue of $21.5 billion, up from $21.3 billion in last year’s first quarter, according to data from Benzinga Pro.

The company missed analyst estimates for revenue in two straight quarters and in six of the last 10 quarters overall.

Analysts expect the company to report first-quarter earnings per share of 42 cents, down from 45 cents per share in last year’s first quarter.

Tesla missed analyst estimates for earnings per share in the fourth quarter and has missed estimates in five of the last 10 quarters. It previously reported first-quarter delivery figures, which missed analyst estimates.

TSLA Price Action: Tesla stock is down 1.8% to $249.64 on Wednesday versus a 52-week trading range of $138.80 to $488.54. Tesla stock is down 34.2% year-to-date in 2025.

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Image: Shutterstock

Bank of America (NYSE:BAC), one of the larger companies reporting financial results this week, could provide a barometer for the health of the financial sector when it reports before the market opens on Tuesday.

Earnings Estimates: Analysts expect Bank of America to report first-quarter revenue of $26.99 billion, up from $25.98 billion in last year’s first quarter according to data from Benzinga Pro.

The company has beaten analyst estimates for revenue in four straight quarters and nine of the last 10 quarters overall.

Analysts expect Bank of America to report first-quarter earnings per share of 82 cents, down from 83 cents in last year’s first quarter. The company has beaten analyst estimates for earnings per share in more than 10 straight quarters.

Read Also: Bank Stocks Rebound Above 200-Day Average As Earnings Propel Dip Buyers

Key Items to Watch: The earnings report comes with several big banks reporting this week and large financial companies Morgan Stanley, Wells Fargo and JPMorgan Chase reporting quarterly results last week.

“This week the slate of reports grows louder but one common factor may persist – lack of guidance,” Freedom Capital Markets chief global strategist Jay Woods said in a weekly newsletter. “Last week, during the three earnings call of the banks mentioned above, the word or a variation of the word ‘uncertain’ was said 40 times!”

Woods said he expects the surge to continue this week, given the uncertainty of President Donald Trump’s tariff policies.

Bank of America beat estimates in the fourth quarter with revenue up 15% year-over-year and the company crediting higher asset management, investment banking fees and sales and trading revenue leading the growth.

As one of the larger banks, Bank of America’s quarterly results and guidance could provide a barometer for the sector and the overall macroeconomic environment.

The SPDR Select Sector Fund—Financial (NYSE:XLF) could be volatile this week, with several financial companies reporting, including Bank of America, one of the five largest holdings of the ETF.

Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (NYSE:BRK) (NYSE:BRK) stock could also be impacted by Bank of America’s results. The Warren Buffett-led conglomerate counts Bank of America as its fourth largest stock investment at 9.3%, trailing only Apple (23.0%), American Express (14.5%) and Coca-Cola (10.8%).

Buffett has trimmed his Bank of America stake in recent quarters, but it remains one of the legendary investor’s largest holdings.

Analysts have been cutting their price targets on Bank of America ahead of the report. Here are recent analyst ratings on Bank of America.

• Morgan Stanley: Upgraded rating from Equal-Weight to Overweight, lowered price target from $56 to $47
• Truist: Maintained Buy rating, lowered price target from $53 to $50
• JPMorgan: Maintained Overweight rating, lowered price target from $49.50 to $43.50
• Evercore ISI: Maintained Outperform rating, lowered price target from $51 to $48

BAC Price Action: Bank of America stock is up 1.6% to $36.53 on Monday versus a 52-week trading range of $33.06 to $48.08. Its stock is down 17.5% year-to-date in 2025 and up 1.6% over the last year.

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Chinese electric vehicle company NIO Inc (NYSE:NIO) could provide a look at the Chinese auto market’s momentum when the company reports fourth-quarter financial results Friday before market open.

Earnings Estimates: Analysts expect NIO to report fourth-quarter revenue of $2.85 billion, up from $2.41 billion according to data from Benzinga Pro.

The company has missed analyst estimates for revenue in three straight quarters and four of the last five quarters overall.

Analysts expect NIO to report fourth-quarter earnings per share of 40 cents, down from a loss of 39 cents per share in last year’s fourth quarter. The company has beaten analyst estimates for earnings per share in two straight quarters and four of the last five quarters.

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Key Items to Watch: NIO’s earnings report comes after the company recently announced a strategic partnership with Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Ltd (CATL) for a battery-swapping network.

The new partnership is expected to see the two companies provide better recharging solutions to vehicle owners and expand on the battery swapping charging method that has been popular in China for years.

NIO has a network of charging and battery swapping stations that total more than 3,000 Power Swap Stations.

Investors will likely hear more about this new partnership and what it means for the company’s future in the EV sector.

NIO previously reported 72,689 vehicles delivered in the fourth quarter, which was a new quarterly record.

While NIO will highlight this figure and the full-year totals again, investors will likely want to hear more about future deliveries and guidance.

NIO recently reported 13,192 deliveries for the month of February, which was up 62% year-over-year and down 4.8% from January.

In February, NIO delivered 9,143 NIO vehicles and 4,049 ONVO vehicles. ONVO is the company’s new lower-priced EV brand launched in May 2024 that launched its first model in September.

Investors would love to hear more about the momentum of ONVO, which is expected to have a second vehicle launch later this year.

Another item to watch will be guidance and the discussion of reaching profitability. The company has recently placed a recent emphasis on this goal.

NIO Price Action: NIO stock is down 8.4% to $4.74 on Thursday versus a 52-week trading range of $3.61 to $7.71. NIO stock is up 4.1% year-to-date in 2025.

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