11:39 AM EST, 02/24/2025 (MT Newswires) -- Tesla's (TSLA) chief executive Elon Musk is everywhere these days, it seems, except at the company. The question, then, is whether Tesla is suffering from his absence, particularly as the electric vehicle manufacturer prepares to execute on several high-profile initiatives during the first half of 2025, analysts at Wedbush posed in a new research note published Monday.

The short answer is no, according to the Wedbush analysts. In fact, they believe those events should be catalysts propelling the stock higher, with Tesla deftly handling challenges such as the planned introduction of its new Model Y Juniper vehicles in coming weeks or the launch of its self-driving robotaxis and Optimous humanoid robots later in the year.

The Wedbush analysts acknowledge Tesla shares have been pressured since the start of 2025, giving back a portion of its post-election surge as some on Wall Street worry whether Musk is dedicating too much of his time and attention to his government efficiency efforts for US President Donald Trump. Musk's close affiliation with Trump also poses some downside risk, they said, alienating a portion of the company's customers in the US and Europe who are now considering buying other car brands.

Those worries likely are overdone, the Wedbush analysts conclude, writing they are "containable brand issues for Tesla for now that are not a major cause for concern." Musk's influence with Trump and others in the federal government also should result in a deregulatory environment that will produce long-term benefits for Tesla and eventually help lift the company to a $1 trillion market valuation, they said.

They also believe Musk can successfully balance his responsibilities for the White House and at the company, just as he has largely done with his many other ventures in the past, with the Wedbush analysts reiterating their outperform rating for Tesla shares and keeping their $550 price target for the company's stock.

Price: 333.80, Change: -4.00, Percent Change: -1.18