Why Baird Is Telling Investors To Buy Tesla Stock In 2026?

The firm cited broader robotaxi rollout, new product launches, and Optimus commercialization as key upside drivers.

• Baird recommended owning the stock into the new year and continues to view the company as a core holding.
• It maintained an ‘Outperform’ rating and set a $548 price target for Tesla.
• Tesla operates Robotaxi in Austin and San Francisco.

Tesla stock was back on investors’ radar on Tuesday after an analyst at Baird told clients to own it into 2026, noting that shares are up 7% over the last month.

The firm told investors that the potential catalysts into 2026 include a broader robotaxi rollout, new product launches, and incremental details on Optimus commercialization, as well as non-Tesla items such as a SpaceX initial public offering, as per TheFly.

The firm reiterated its ‘Outperform’ rating on Tesla's stock and maintained the $548 price target.

Robotaxi Rollout

Ride-hailing firms and global technology giants are racing to deploy driverless taxis as momentum and a shift towards robotaxis is increasing globally. Firms in China, Europe, and the United States are all running trials.

Tesla has already launched a limited paid-robotaxi rollout in Austin, Texas, using its Model Y. It also operates a ride-hailing service in San Francisco and recently received a permit to operate in Arizona.

SpaceX IPO Plans

Elon Musk is reportedly moving ahead with plans for an IPO, targeting a valuation of about $1.5 trillion, which could be the largest IPO of all time. Bloomberg also noted that the IPO timing is uncertain, and the company could delay or abandon the plan altogether.

SpaceX has also forecasted its revenue to be between $22 billion $24 billion in 2026, largely fueled by its Starlink satellite-internet unit, the report added.

SpaceX’s current valuation is around $800 billion, which overtakes OpenAI’s $500 billion. The new valuation was set through private share sales earlier this month and exceeds the $400 billion value from a secondary share sale in July.

How Did Stocktwits Users React?

On Stocktwits, TSLA retail sentiment stayed 'bearish' and message volume was 'normal'.

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