Key Numbers to Watch in Tesla Earnings -- WSJ

By Owen Tucker-Smith

All eyes are on Tesla's third-quarter earnings this afternoon, as Wall Street buzzes about a potential merger with SpaceX. The company said earlier this month that its third-quarter electric-vehicle deliveries fell 2% compared with the same period a year ago.

Here are the key numbers Wall Street will be watching when Tesla reports its full earnings after the bell:

-- Sales: Analysts expect Tesla to report roughly $28.06 billion in sales for the third quarter, according to FactSet. That would be a slight drop from the same period a year ago.

-- Profit: Analysts anticipate the company to report around $1.57 billion in net income for the quarter, down from $1.77 billion a year ago. They expect the company's adjusted earnings to land around 45 cents a share, down from 50 cents a year ago.

-- Capex: Investors will be closely watching how much Tesla spends on capital expenditures as the company leans further into AI. Analysts expect capex to reach $7.9 billion for the quarter, a dramatic increase from $2.25 billion a year ago.

-- Free cash flow: Analysts estimate the company's free cash flow will land around a negative $4.29 billion as it ramps up spending. Last year it was $3.99 billion.

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(END) Dow Jones Newswires

October 21, 2026 15:15 ET (19:15 GMT)