If Elon Musk continues to lead DOGE, the automaker's "brand issues would create permanent brand destruction," warned Dan Ives, a prominent analyst at Wedbush Securities, recently.

However, Ives added that he believes that Tesla's (TSLA) "base valuation" is poised to eventually reach "$2 trillion or more."

The Dichotomy of TSLA

Tesla's "brand issues have been front and center, and that's something that needs to be rectified," Ives stated, adding that "only Elon" can solve the problem.

On the other hand, there are "so many great things ahead for Tesla...autonomous robotics, and unsupervised full-self driving in Austin," the analyst said.

EVs "set the stage for what's really the gold at the end of the rainbow, autonomous and robotics," according to Ives. "That's why this is such an important period for Musk," he added.

More Information About TSLA Stock

Analysts on average expect the company's earnings per share to advance to $2.55 this year and $3.42 in 2026 from $2.42 in 2024.

In the last month, the shares have climbed 14%, while they are down 35% in the last three months and have jumped 63% in the last 12 months.

While we acknowledge the potential of TSLA, our conviction lies in the belief that AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns, and doing so within a shorter timeframe. There is an AI stock that went up since the beginning of 2025, while popular AI stocks lost around 25%. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than TSLA but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about this cheapest AI stock.

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Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.