Tesla Stock Is Climbing — Optimus Robot Hopes and Federal Support Talks

This article first appeared on GuruFocus.

Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) shares surged about 4% on Wednesday after commentary on the prospect of humanoid robot support from Washington.

The move extended into Thursday trading, with the stock rising about 2% on opening as investors weighed the outlook for Optimus, Tesla’s humanoid robot project.

Barclays analyst Dan Levy said the White House is considering an executive order in 2026 to back humanoid robotics with funding or incentives, which could accelerate deployment and adoption, Levy wrote.

Levy added robotics are increasingly viewed as a strategic area of competition with China, prompting companies to seek federal support for automation, supply chains and rollouts.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk has signaled plans to offer Optimus to external customers in 2026, though technical and regulatory hurdles remain.

Analysts caution timelines and revenue visibility are uncertain, but some investors say policy support and government incentives could materially improve the business case for robotics.

The stock action indicates that humans remain an AI/automation-crazed group and that they are likely to take the Tesla market way beyond cars and that is yet to be determined.