Tesla reports earnings next week - can you as an investor expect anything good?

By Philip van Doorn

Also: Netflix's good numbers and a reporting change, buying a home off-market, and retirement investing strategies

Tesla Inc. will announce its first-quarter results after the market close on Tuesday. You may have seen recent headlines driven by worry that CEO Elon Musk's focus on autonomous taxis might delay the production of a lower-cost Model 2 electric vehicle.

And Musk might not soothe these concerns when Tesla has its earnings call with analysts. In his opening comments during the fourth-quarter call in January, Musk said the company was "very far along on our next-generation low-cost vehicle." But he pushed back in advance of any questions about that coming vehicle by reminding participants: "This is an earnings call, not a product announcement," according to a transcript provided by FactSet. Then again, he said production of the company's next generation of EVs would begin "towards the end of 2025."

Shares of Tesla (TSLA) have declined 40% this year. Musk's posting on X on Monday that the company would show off its robotaxi on Aug. 8 didn't help - the shares were down 12% for the week through Thursday.

Claudia Assis previewed Tesla's coming earnings announcement.

More Tesla coverage and opinion:

Tesla's stock gets downgraded as this 'potentially painful transition' loomsTesla's stock heads for sixth straight slide as Cybertruck recall is announcedWhy Elon Musk's latest Tesla robotaxi promise is unlikely to deliverTesla shareholders shouldn't be fooled again on Elon Musk's pay packageTesla to lay off 14% of its Buffalo, N.Y., workforce as part of large-scale job cutsTeslas have never been this cheap. Here's why leasing or buying a used one may be the best deal.

Netflix put up super growth numbers but plans to tell investors less going forward

The MarketWatch Companies team provided live coverage of Netflix Inc.'s (NFLX) earnings results, which you can read here. The company's first-quarter revenue rose 14.8% from a year earlier, while its earnings per share were up 83%. Global streaming memberships rose 16% from a year earlier to 269.6 million, and Netflix added 9.2 million net subscribers during the first quarter.

That last number was impressive and reflected the benefit from Netflix's flexible approach to limit password sharing while allowing subscribers to add family members to their accounts for less than it would cost to add another subscription.

But Netflix said it was going to stop reporting the number of new subscribers in 2025. Therese Poletti explains why this might be a bad idea.

Read on: Here's how much Netflix's co-CEOs and other executives made last year

A different way to find a home to buy

In the video above, MarketWatch real-estate reporter Aarthi Swaminathan explains how to look at and bid on houses that are for sale but are only listed privately. And in an article, she dug deeper into the pros and cons of off-market real-estate deals.

More housing coverage:

Home sales are getting hammered by high mortgage rates, but one region is holding up'It's the scene of an unsolved murder': We put in an offer on a secluded cabin with 40 acres, but someone was killed there. Should we bail? Rents have finally stopped skyrocketing. They are now stuck at a price most Americans can't afford.

Biotech stocks that are prime takeout candidates

An innovator in the biotech space might have great success in clinical trials, but then it is likely to need help bringing its products or services to market. That could lead to a killing for investors if the company is sold to a large pharmaceutical manufacturer. Michael Brush lists four biotech companies involved with the development of GLP-1 weight-loss drugs that could be takeout candidates.

More coverage of stocks - screens and portfolio strategies:

Do cash-gushing stocks outperform the S&P 500? Here's what history has to say.Nvidia is the No. 1 S&P 500 growth stock in this screen. See which other companies joined or left the list.Eight stock picks in AI, obesity drugs, e-commerce and other growth areas beyond the S&P 500

Your multidecade retirement-investment portfolio might perform much better if you do this

Paul Merriman outlines a simple fix for investors who like low-cost index funds. Looking back more than 50 years, it turns out that adding exposure beyond the S&P 500 would have led to higher returns and lower risk. At first glance, you might find the details intimidating, but Merriman simplifies the approach while narrowing down the data.

More on investment strategies before and during retirement:

These 'low risk' investments are on sale - and that is good news for retireesHow much stock exposure is enough for retirees? These 10 target-date funds offer clues.

The Ratings Game

In the Ratings Game column, the MarketWatch Companies team monitors reactions to corporate events among analysts working for brokerage firms. Here are examples from this week:

3M may be poised to cut its dividend - and break with a 64-year tradition, says analystThis is Super Micro's path to $1,500, according to the stock's biggest bullBuy eBay and short Etsy, says Morgan Stanley in call on $1.1 trillion e-commerce marketReddit is bucking this big tech trend. Analysts view it as a positive.AMC poised for market-share gains, boosted by premium screens and concert movies, Wedbush saysAMD's stock can surge 40%, this new bull says - even as Nvidia still dominatesNvidia isn't just a chip stock, and could soar 30% when investors realize thatLive Nation's stock sinks on a possible antitrust suit - but Wall Street analysts aren't worriedUrban Outfitters' stock drops into bear-market territory after rare sell rating

Boston Fed president talks about an economy that appears strong at a high level but causes anxiety for many people

In an interview with MarketWatch personal-finance reporter Hannah Erin Lang, Federal Reserve Bank of Boston President Susan Collins suggested that monetary-policy makers look deeper into how people are suffering from the effects of economic uncertainty, even at a time of high GDP growth.

MarketWatch readers have shared many insightful comments, and you can join the conversation.

Hopeful signs after a broad stock-market decline

The S&P 500 SPX was down 5% for April through Thursday, following a 10% gain during the first quarter. Recent negativity might spring from some investors' realization that they bought too easily into the notion that the Federal Reserve would cut interest rates several times this year:

Fed's Beige Book finds steady economic growth but little progress in reducing inflationPowell says conditions needed to cut rates likely to take longer to appear

But there may already be catalysts to send stocks back in a positive direction:

Five reasons the stock market's 'painful' pullback may be nearing its endThis chart shows why the stock-market rally should broaden out later this year

The Moneyist might have a solution for you

Quentin Fottrell - the Moneyist - often goes where others dare not tread as he navigates financial conflicts. This week he entered new territory as he helped a bridesmaid who was chagrined at the notion of paying for ugly dresses. For three weddings.

More from the Moneyist:

'I was mentally and emotionally drained': During my divorce, I made a hasty decision to take early retirement. Can I undo this?'He was recently taken to the hospital': My elderly neighbor gave me power of attorney. Can his estranged daughter object?My mother-in-law, 75, has difficulty paying off her $52,000 mortgage and $20,000 HELOC. Should she sell her home - or take out a reverse mortgage?'He's quit talking to me': My father, 83, suffers from hoarding disorder and dementia. How can I help him and protect his estate?

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-Philip van Doorn

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04-20-24 0505ET

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