Tesla’s losses were mounting last summer, massive debt payments were looming, and both Wall Street and federal regulators had run out of patience with the erratic behavior of CEO Elon Musk.
One year ago this week, shares plunged 14% after Tesla posted another quarterly loss, this one for $408 million, wiping out about $6 billion of the company’s worth.
Since then the stock has blasted off like at rocket at SpaceX, another Musk-led company. Tesla’s market value today is three times that of Ford, General Motors and Fiat Chrysler, combined. A single share of Tesla now goes for $1,600, a seven-fold increase from a year ago, making it one of the most expensive publicly traded shares in the world.
“Things just turned on a dime,” said CFRA Analyst Garrett Nelson.…