特斯拉实现Model 3产能目标，做空者亏损25亿美元

金融科技公司S3 Partners的预测分析部总经理伊霍·杜桑尼维斯基表示，汽车制造商特斯拉（Tesla）的做空者们在股票下跌时投资，6月的账面亏损约为25亿美元。究其原因，特斯拉的股票在当月上涨了18%。

在做空者们算清赔了多少后，有报道称特斯拉于第二季度最后冲刺阶段实现了Model 3周产量5000辆的目标。投资者一直在跟进Model 3的生产，并且认为这是特斯拉拓展市场的重要契机。尤其在于，该车的起步价为3.5万美元，还不到Model X首秀价格的一半。

上周一，在关于上述产能目标的报道中，特斯拉的股票下跌了1%，多少给了做空者们一剂强心药。

“我想，我们刚成为了一家真正的汽车公司……”马斯克在就产能提升写给员工的一封信中激动地写道。

做空者们这回栽跟头似乎恰应验了马斯克于6月中旬通过推特（Twitter）发出的警告。当时他告诫说，看跌特斯拉的投资者们“在他们做空的买卖瓦解之前大约还有三周时间”。评论家长期质疑公司有能力实现产能目标，而在5月的一次稀奇的第一季度财务视频报告之后，投资人则更为担忧。在那次报告中，马斯克怒斥了华尔街分析员对公司迅速蒸发的资金储备的质问，称这是“无聊、愚蠢的问题”。

然而，尽管最新报道称特斯拉实现了产能目标，该企业的怀疑者们似乎仍不为所动。

“看来这些做空者是铁了心了。”杜桑尼维斯基在写给《财富》杂志的一封电子邮件中说道。他指出，该企业可交易的股数中，做空交易的股数占了27.5%。

而他们的怀疑也确有依据。尽管公司总算达成了产能目标，投资人对公司烧钱的状况忧心忡忡。正如纽约大学（New York University）的金融学教授阿斯沃斯·达摩达兰指出，尽管特斯拉在过去三个季度中销售收入有所增长，“亏损额也在成比例增长。”导致该阶段利润率在-23%左右。投资研究公司CFRA Research也怀疑特斯拉是否有能力维持Model 3的生产速度，并将其股票从“持有”降级为“卖出”。

但马斯克似乎正努力尝试化险为夷，为了减少成本，他在6月削减了公司9%的员工。（财富中文网）

译者：沈昕宇

The carmaker’s short sellers, those who put money on a stock declining in value, lost roughly $2.5 billion on paper in the month of June, according to data from Ihor Dusaniwsky, managing director of predictive analytics at financial technology firm, S3 Partners. The declines come due to a 18% increase in Tesla shares during the month.

That tally of short seller loses came before news that Tesla had reached its production target of 5,000 Model 3 vehicles a week in the final stretch of the second quarter. Investors have closely watched the Model 3’s development, considering it an important opportunity for Tesla to reach a broader market. Notably, its base price is $35,000, less than half of the Model X’s during its debut.

Tesla’s shares sank 1% on last Monday amid the news about the production milestone, giving short sellers some modest relief.

“I think we just became a real car company….,” Musk wrote in an ebullient note to employees in response to increasing production.

The losses shorts have experienced seems to back up Musk’s threat mid-June on Twitter, in which he cautioned investors betting against his firm have “about three weeks before their short position explodes.” Critics have long questioned the company’s ability to reach its production targets, with investors growing even more concerned following a strange first quarter earnings call in May. During that call, Musk lashed out at Wall Street analysts who asked about the company’s quickly vanishing cash reserves, dubbing such queries as “boring, bonehead questions.”

Still, Tesla’s skeptics appear little moved by its most recent news that the carmaker had met production targets.

“Looks like the shorts who have had conviction all along are standing pat,” Dusaniwsky wrote in an email to Fortune, noting that about short interest in the company now accounts for 27.5% of the number of shares available for trading.

And there is basis for doubt. Though the company has managed to meet its production targets, investors still worry about the company quickly burning cash. As pointed out by New York University finance Prof. Aswath Damodaran, while Tesla’s revenue has grown in the last three quarters, “losses are growing proportionately,” placing its profit margin at about -23% during those periods. CFRA Research, an investment research firm, also questioned Tesla’s ability to maintain its rate of Model 3 production, downgrading the stock to “sell” from “hold.”

But Musk appears to be trying to turn that negative into a positive by slashing 9% of its workforce in June in an effort to cut costs.