[voyager]

Toyota Motor Corp. has sold some of its shares in U.S. electric vehicle maker Tesla Motors Inc., the Nikkei financial newspaper reported.

Daimler AG, the parent of Mercedes-Benz, said earlier this week it sold its remaining 4 percent stake in Tesla for a gain of $780 million. Daimler took a 9.1 percent stake in Tesla for around $50 million in May 2009.

http://www.autonews.com/article/20141023/OEM/141029898/toyota-sells-some-tesla-shares-report-says

 

[Ruperts Trooper]

Just normally stock market profit-taking - this is only newsworthy because it's one car maker investing/divesting in another - if it had been a company in another industry investing in "start-up" Tesla and taking profits it probably would barely have made the financial media at all.

 

[voyager]

... And BMW may step in.

 

[BlackGTP]

Funny - Mercedes made more $$ off selling Tesla stock, Tesla that barely sells any cars, vs. selling Chrysler (excluding all the resources and cash they stripped/stole from Chrysler).

 

[dslay04]

I wonder if they feel like something bad is coming for Tesla

 

[patrickbec]

Just normally stock market profit-taking - this is only newsworthy because it's one car maker investing/divesting in another - if it had been a company in another industry investing in "start-up" Tesla and taking profits it probably would barely have made the financial media at all.

Are you insane? Automakers are not hedge funds, they only invest in each other for strategic reasons, not to make a buck on share price appreciaction. This divestment either means Mercedes and Toyota see looming problems with Tesla's business model, or they don't feel they need access to Tesla's technology either because they have developed their own, or Tesla's technology is not that great to begin with (or both). Either way, these moves are very significant.

 

[Ruperts Trooper]

Are you insane? Automakers are not hedge funds, they only invest in each other for strategic reasons, not to make a buck on share price appreciaction. This divestment either means Mercedes and Toyota see looming problems with Tesla's business model, or they don't feel they need access to Tesla's technology either because they have developed their own, or Tesla's technology is not that great to begin with (or both). Either way, these moves are very significant.

You're talking about reciprocal cross-holding of equity to cement an alliance - these were one-way investments.

If trouble were looming, the shareholding would have low value.

 

[dslay04]

You're talking about reciprocal cross-holding of equity to cement an alliance - these were one-way investments.

If trouble were looming, the shareholding would have low value.

No they were 2 way investments. MB got the B-Class Electric Drive and Toyota got the RAV4 EV

Per Jalopnik:

Toyota and Tesla are nearing the end of sales of the jointly developed RAV4 electric sport utility vehicle after delivering about 2,500 units over more than two years. The two companies are now taking separate paths, with Tesla working to bring the plug-in Model X crossover and a cheaper Model 3 sedan to market. Toyota is preparing to sell its first fuel-cell vehicle, a technology that Tesla’s billionaire co-founder Elon Musk has ridiculed.

 

[CJH]

Are you insane? Automakers are not hedge funds, they only invest in each other for strategic reasons, not to make a buck on share price appreciaction. This divestment either means Mercedes and Toyota see looming problems with Tesla's business model, or they don't feel they need access to Tesla's technology either because they have developed their own, or Tesla's technology is not that great to begin with (or both). Either way, these moves are very significant.

I have a feeling they realized their isn't really anything special about their battery tech, they were just the first to do all electric in a premium/performance package with a big a$$ battery and an iPad in the dash.

I wonder if they feel like something bad is coming for Tesla

They only reason Tesla is profitable is carbon credits and other pro electrification incentives and tax breaks. If they had to survive solely on sales, they would be bankrupt. If the political environment changes, that puts a dent in those tax breaks/credits/incentives. Plus I think they realized there wasn't anything proprietary to what Tesla was doing.

No they were 2 way investments. MB got the B-Class Electric Drive and Toyota got the RAV4 EV

Per Jalopnik:

^ This.

 

[richmond2000]

Are you insane? Automakers are not hedge funds, they only invest in each other for strategic reasons, not to make a buck on share price appreciaction. This divestment either means Mercedes and Toyota see looming problems with Tesla's business model, or they don't feel they need access to Tesla's technology either because they have developed their own, or Tesla's technology is not that great to begin with (or both). Either way, these moves are very significant.

I thought Tesla was sharing there Tech/patents for "free" to spur EV development "so why buy the cow if the milk is free"