Tesla Stock Races Higher Ahead Of Earnings Today: What's Going On?

Tesla Inc TSLA is set to report first-quarter earnings after Tuesday's market close, with investors bracing for a pivotal update following a turbulent few months.What To Know: Analysts expect revenue of $21.35 billion and EPS of 41 cents, both slightly below year-ago figures. The electric vehicle giant has faced slipping sales—particularly in Europe and the U.S.—and investor unease over CEO Elon Musk's increasing political involvement, including his role in the Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).Wall Street sentiment has cooled, with many analysts lowering price targets ahead of the call, amid concerns surrounding U.S. tariff policy at-large. Musk's focus on politics and cryptocurrency has led prominent voices like Wedbush's Dan Ives and The Future Fund's Gary Black to call for a renewed focus on Tesla's core business. Investors are also looking for clarity on the long-delayed affordable EV model, Full Self-Driving progress and the company's 2025 delivery outlook.Despite recent struggles, Tesla maintains a dominant 43% EV market share in the U.S. and eyes future growth with its upcoming India debut. With brand sentiment on the line, tonight's earnings call could be critical in shaping Tesla's near-term trajectory and perhaps clarity towards Musk’s DOGE involvement moving forward.Read Also: Tesla Q1 Earnings Preview: Shareholders, Analysts Want Answers On Guidance, Tariffs, FSD And MoreHow To Buy TSLA StockBy now you're likely curious about how to participate in the market for Tesla – be it to purchase shares, or even attempt to bet against the company.Buying shares is typically done through a brokerage account. You can find a list of possible trading platforms here. Many will allow you to buy “fractional shares,” which allows you to own portions of stock without buying an entire share.In the case of Tesla, which is trading at $236.11 as of publishing time, $100 would buy you 0.42 shares of stock.If you're looking to bet against a company, the process is more complex. You'll need access to an options trading platform, or a broker who will allow you to “go short” a share of stock by lending you the shares to sell. The process of shorting a stock can be found at this resource. Otherwise, if your broker allows you to trade options, you can either buy a put option, or sell a call option at a strike price above where shares are currently trading – either way it allows you to profit off of the share price decline.According to data fromBenzinga Pro, TSLA has a 52-week high of $488.54 and a 52-week low of $141.11.