TESLA INCOME JUMPS 20%, 7 BUT SHARES FALL AFTER HOURS AMID PROFIT CONCERNS

Elon Musk's big bet that Tesla price cuts could boost sales and profits amid increasing competition and poor economic sentiment appears to be yielding mixed results.

Sales jumped and the company beat analyst expectations for net income in the April-June quarter, although the company's profit margins declined. Tesla shares followed suit in after-hours trading.

The Austin, Texas, maker of electric vehicles, solar panels and batteries reported net income of $2.7 billion in the quarter, a 20% increase from a year ago. Earnings per share also rose 20% to 78 cents when measured via generally accepted accounting principles. Total revenue rose 47% to $24.93 billion.

Analysts, however, tend to focus on Tesla’s own measurement of profit, which excludes stock-based compensation expense. By that measure, Tesla’s net income zoomed to $3.15 billion, or 91 cents a share, sharply exceeding average analyst estimates of 80 cents per share according to FactSet. Some analysts had expected profits to fall because of the price cuts.

Tesla shares, however, initially stayed flat at roughly $292 in after-hours trading immediately following the earnings report, up a smidgeon from their close at $291.26. As Tesla executives spoke to analysts in a conference call, shares slipped more than 4%.