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Rani Molla

Barclays: Tesla will be even more “disconnected from fundamentals” in 2025

Tesla has long been known as a company whose stock price isn’t always closely tied to its underlying financial performance. Rather, it trades on things like vibes, unsubstantiated political optimism, and the lure of products not yet realized. This year things might get even more detached. In a research note from Barclays today, analysts wrote that Tesla’s stock could get “increasingly disconnected from fundamentals.”

“We believe fundamentals remain secondary vs. the broader theme of narrative command for Tesla, which has gone into hyperdrive since the US Elections last November. The stock has become untethered from fundamentals, arguably similar to what we saw with Tesla stock in late 2021 when the market was awash in EV euphoria. Yet it’s important to note this move has very little to do with EVs, as the Election catalyst is objectively a negative for EVs.

Rather, the AV/AI opportunity has drawn excitement over the large TAM opportunity ahead, with reinvigorated hopes of Tesla’s role as a disruptor — regardless of how distant the opportunity is, or how difficult it will be to monetize (a point we’ve discussed in the past). Yet beyond this is the Elon premium’ in the stock, which we believe is at an all-time high, especially with Elon Musk’s stature solidifying post the US election. With Tesla reinforcing itself as the OG meme stonk,’ we think Tesla’s best comp is perhaps Bitcoin, and Elon’s star power seems core to that.

Barclays maintained its neutral rating but raised its price target from $270 to $325.

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Starbucks issues apology after viral “Bearista” cup meltdown

Holiday cheer turned into chaos this week for Starbucks after the coffee giant’s new “Bearista” holiday cup sent fans into a frenzy. 

Dropped alongside its 2025 holiday menu, the $30 beanie-wearing glass bear tumbler sparked long lines, sellouts, and even in-store scuffles before Starbucks stepped in with an apology.

“The excitement for our merchandise exceeded even our biggest expectations,” the company said in a statement to People. “Despite shipping more Bearista cups to our coffeehouses than almost any other item this holiday season, the Bearista cup and some other items sold out fast.”

Within hours of launch, frustrated fans flooded Starbucks’ social media pages and even store hotlines. Some customers waited in line before dawn and others said their stores received only a handful of cups. In one Houston location, the craze even turned physical, with police reportedly called to break up a brawl. Meanwhile, the cup is already reselling on sites like eBay, with listings topping $600.

“We understand many customers were excited about the Bearista cup and apologize for the disappointment this may have caused,” Starbucks said. While in-store customers may be upset, investors seem happy about the viral hit, as the stock has risen over 3% on Friday.

If you’re still hoping for a Bearista at market price, that may not be on order: the chain didn’t disclose how many cups were made or whether a restock is planned.

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Target tells workers to smile, wave, and greet shoppers if they come within 10 feet of them

Target just rolled out a new rule for store employees: smile, make eye contact, and greet or wave when a shopper comes within 10 feet — and if they get closer, within four feet, ask whether they need help or how their day is going, according to a new Bloomberg report.

Dubbed the 10-4 program internally, the rule mirrors rival Walmarts own 10-foot policy, formalizing behavior Target had previously only encouraged.

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Monster surges on energy drink buzz, while Celsius sinks on distribution concerns

Shares of Monster Beverage climbed 5% after the bell on Thursday, and held most of those gains into early trading on Friday, following strong Q3 results.

The energy drink giant topped market expectations, with quarterly sales up 17% year over year to $2.2 billion and adjusted net profits growing 41% to $524.5 million — 11% ahead of Wall Street’s estimates. In the report, Monster highlighted its zero-sugar line and new product launches, with a stack of novel flavors already released this year, as bright spots.

During a call with analysts, Chief Executive Hilton Schlosberg said that the global energy drink category “remains healthy with robust growth,” The Wall Street Journal reported, adding that demand for more affordable caffeinated drinks is rising as coffee has become “really expensive.”

Meanwhile, rival beverage business Celsius saw shares fall as much as 23% on its Q3 results yesterday — despite beating expectations, with revenue jumping 173% — largely due to concerns about a change in the company’s distribution channel, as its newly acquired Alani Nu brand joins the PepsiCo distribution network.

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