How to buy Tesla (TSLA) shares in Australia

Learn how to easily invest in Tesla shares and stay updated on the latest financial data (updated daily).

Yes, it's possible to buy Tesla shares from Australia, however you'll need to find the right share trading platform. Read on to find out how you can invest in Tesla stock from Australia and stay informed on the latest financial data and company valuations (updated daily).

About Tesla

Tesla (TSLA) is a global electric car maker headquartered in the US and lead by the enigmatic CEO Elon Musk. Founded in 2003, the company is best known for its popular electric vehicle range, batter storage technology and solar panel solutions. TSLA listed on Wall Street’s NASDAQ stock exchange in 2010 and its share price has since seen enormous growth.

How to buy shares in Tesla

  1. Compare share trading platforms. To buy shares in a company listed in the US from Australia you'll need to find a trading platform that offers access to US stock markets. Look for a platform with low brokerage and foreign exchange fees.
  2. Open and fund your brokerage account. Complete an application with your personal and financial details, which will typically include your ID and tax file number. Fund your account with a bank transfer, credit card or debit card.
  3. Search for Tesla. Find the share by name or ticker symbol: TSLA. Research its history to confirm it's a solid investment that matches your financial goals.
  4. Purchase now or later. Buy today with a market order or use a limit order to delay your purchase until Tesla reaches your desired price. To spread out your risk, look into dollar-cost averaging, which smooths out buying using consistent intervals and amounts.
  5. Decide on how many to buy. At last close price of US$436.17, weigh your budget against a diversified portfolio that can minimise risk through the market's ups and downs. You may be able to buy a fractional share of Tesla, depending on your broker.
  6. Check in on your investment. Congratulations, you own a part of Tesla. Optimise your portfolio by tracking how your stock — and even the business — performs with an eye on the long term. You may be eligible for dividends and shareholder voting rights.

Our top picks on where to buy Tesla stock

Alternative ways to invest in Tesla

Another way to invest in Tesla stock is through an exchange traded fund, which is a portfolio of multiple stocks.

Buying stocks in just one company can leave you more exposed to unexpected swings in the market than if you have a range of investments otherwise known as a diversified portfolio. Experts generally recommend having a broad mix of assets and funds on the basis that drops in the value of some will be offset by rises elsewhere.

This means that it's generally a good idea to invest in exchange traded funds (ETFs) or index funds to expose yourself to a variety of companies and industries. The good news is that Tesla is listed on the Nasdaq Composite index, so it's included in many global funds and investment trusts like S&P 500 index funds, as well as ETFs.

ETFs with Tesla exposure

As one of the biggest listed companies in the US, Tesla is featured on many US-market index fund ETFs in Australia. Several clean energy and battery storage ETFs also offer high exposure to Tesla stock among a portfolio of peers and competitors. Here are some ETFs we found that offer Tesla shares on their portfolios:

  • iShares S&P 500 ETF (IVV)
  • BetaShares NASDAQ 100 ETF (NDQ)
  • Vanguard MSCI Index International Shares Hedged ETF (VGAD)
  • Global X Battery Tech & Lithium ETF (ACDC)
  • BetaShares Electric Vehicles and Future Mobility ETF (DRIV)
  • BetaShares Solar ETF (TANN)
  • BetaShares Climate Change Innovation ETF (ERTH)
  • BetaShares Global Quality Leaders ETF (QLTY)

News update: September, 2023

  • On September 1, Tesla unveiled its new pricier Model 3 sedan in China. It marks the first time the automaker has released a vehicle in China ahead of the US.
  • Rumours that Tesla would acquire wireless charging company Wiferion have been confirmed as of August 1.
  • In late July, Tesla's second quarter earnings report sent shares tumbling 10% after automotive gross margin was shown to have fallen to 18.1% from 26% the previous year. Musk also signalled at more price cuts to come to compete against EV rivals.

Have Tesla's shares ever split?

Tesla's shares were split on a 3:1 basis on 24 August 2022. So if you had owned 1 share the day before the split, the next day you would own 3 shares. This wouldn't directly have changed the overall worth of your Tesla shares – just the quantity. However, indirectly, the new 66.7% lower share price could have impacted the market appetite for Tesla shares which in turn could have impacted Tesla's share price.

Tesla share growth calculator

US$

Use the fields above to explore the returns from a historical investment. Please refer to the charts further up this page to see performance over 5 years, or other periods. Past performance doesn't indicate future results. Capital is at risk.

Tesla price performance over time

Historical closes compared with the last close of $436.17

1 week (2024-12-13) -0.01%
1 month (2024-11-20) 27.52%
3 months (2024-09-20) 83.07%
6 months (2024-06-20) 140.22%
1 year (2023-12-20) 76.49%
2 years (2022-12-20) 216.52%
3 years (2021-12-20) 45.40%
5 years (2019-12-20) 222.62%

Compare trading platforms to buy Tesla shares

Name Product AUFST Standard brokerage for US shares Currency conversion fee Asset class
eToro
Exclusive
eToro logo
US$2
150 pips
ASX shares, Global shares, US shares, ETFs
Exclusive: Get 12 months of investment tracking app Delta PRO for free when you fund your eToro account. T&Cs apply.
Trade stocks, commodities and currencies from the one account and get access to social trading.
Tiger Brokers
Finder AwardExclusive
Tiger Brokers logo
US$1.99
55 pips
ASX shares, Global shares, Options trading, US shares, ETFs
Finder exclusive: Get 4 brokerage-free trades and pay no FX fees on the first $2,000 you exchange each month with first deposit of any amount + plus get an $80 cash voucher when you deposit up to $2000. T&Cs apply.
Trade US, Asian and CHESS-sponsored ASX stocks and US options.
CMC Invest
Finder AwardExclusive
CMC Invest logo
US$0
0.60%
ASX shares, Global shares, Options trading, US shares, ETFs
Finder exclusive: Get $100 trading credit when you transfer $10k+ of either Australian or international stocks to CMC Invest. Only available for the first 50 new clients to participate. Use promo code “100CMC”. T&Cs apply.
Trade over 45,000 shares and ETFs from Australia and 15 major global markets. Plus, buy Aussie shares or ETFs for $0 brokerage up to $1,000 (First buy order of each security, each day - excludes margin loan settled trades).
Moomoo logo
US$0.99
55 pips or 0.0055 AUD/USD
ASX shares, Global shares, Options trading, US shares, ETFs
Finder exclusive: Unlock up to AUD$4,000 AND US$4,000 in $0 brokerage over 60 days. T&Cs apply.
Trade US, Asian and CHESS-sponsored ASX stocks and get access to social trading.
Superhero logo
US$2
65 bps
ASX shares, US shares, ETFs
Sign up with code ‘finder24’ and get US$10 of Nvidia stock when you fund your account with $100 or more within 30 days. T&Cs apply.
Enjoy US$2 brokerage (other fees may apply) on US stocks and buying ETFs as well as $2 fee to trade Australian shares up to $20,000.
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The value of your investments can fall as well as rise and you may get back less than you invested. Past performance is no indication of future results.

Is it a good time to buy Tesla stock?

The technical analysis gauge below displays real-time ratings for the timeframes you select. However, this is not a recommendation. It represents a technical analysis based on the most popular technical indicators: Moving Averages, Oscillators and Pivots. Finder might not concur and takes no responsibility.

Josh Gilbert's headshot
Expert insight

"Against a tough economic backdrop, margin struggles, and pricing wars, it won't be plain sailing for Tesla this year. Musk has helped drive demand in the first half of the year with price cuts, but that led to softer margins that have always been the standout for Tesla. This has created a tightrope that Musk and Tesla are walking, balancing driving volumes with maintaining its impressively high margins."

Josh Gilbert
Market analyst, eToro

Is Tesla under- or over-valued?

Valuing Tesla stock is incredibly difficult, and any metric has to be viewed as part of a bigger picture of Tesla's overall performance. However, analysts commonly use some key metrics to help gauge the value of a stock.

Tesla's P/E ratio

Tesla's current share price divided by its per-share earnings (EPS) over a 12-month period gives a "trailing price/earnings ratio" of roughly 121x. In other words, Tesla shares trade at around 121x recent earnings.

That's relatively high compared to, say, the trailing 12-month P/E ratio for the NASDAQ 100 at the end of 2019 (27.29). The high P/E ratio could mean that investors are optimistic about the outlook for the shares or simply that they're over-valued.

Tesla's PEG ratio

Tesla's "price/earnings-to-growth ratio" can be calculated by dividing its P/E ratio by its growth – to give 12.203. A low ratio can be interpreted as meaning the shares offer better value, while a higher ratio can be interpreted as meaning the shares offer worse value.

The PEG ratio provides a broader view than just the P/E ratio, as it gives more insight into Tesla's future profitability. By accounting for growth, it could also help you if you're comparing the share prices of multiple high-growth companies.

Tesla's EBITDA

Tesla's EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation) is US$13.2 billion (£10.5 billion).

The EBITDA is a measure of a Tesla's overall financial performance and is widely used to measure stock profitability.

Tesla share price volatility

Over the last 12 months, Tesla's shares have ranged in value from as little as US$138.8025 up to US$488.5399. A popular way to gauge a stock's volatility is its "beta".

TSLA.US volatility(beta: 2.3)Avg. volatility(beta: 1.00)LowHigh

Beta measures a share's volatility in relation to the market. The market (NASDAQ average) beta is 1, while Tesla's is 2.295. This would suggest that Tesla's shares are significantly more volatile than the average for this exchange and represent a higher risk.

Tesla financials

Revenue TTM US$97.2 billion
Operating margin TTM 10.79%
Gross profit TTM US$20.9 billion
Return on assets TTM 4.76%
Return on equity TTM 20.39%
Profit margin 13.08%
Book value 21.806
Market capitalisation US$1.4 trillion
EBITDA US$13.2 billion

TTM: trailing 12 months

Tesla share dividends

We're not expecting Tesla to pay a dividend over the next 12 months.

Tesla's environmental, social and governance track record

Environmental, social and governance (known as ESG) criteria are a set of three factors used to measure the sustainability and social impact of companies like Tesla.

When it comes to ESG scores, lower is better, and lower scores are generally associated with lower risk for would-be investors.

Tesla's total ESG risk score

Total ESG risk: 27.59

Socially conscious investors use ESG scores to screen how an investment aligns with their worldview, and Tesla's overall score of 27.59 (as at 12/31/2018) is pretty weak – landing it in it in the 61st percentile of companies rated in the same sector.

ESG scores are increasingly used to estimate the level of risk a company like Tesla is exposed to within the areas of "environmental" (carbon footprint, resource use etc.), "social" (health and safety, human rights etc.), and "governance" (anti-corruption, tax transparency etc.).

Tesla's environmental score

Environmental score: 1.25/100

Tesla's environmental score of 1.25 puts it squarely in the 1st percentile of companies rated in the same sector. This could suggest that Tesla is a leader in its sector terms of its environmental impact, and exposed to a lower level of risk.

Tesla's social score

Social score: 17.81/100

Tesla's social score of 17.81 puts it squarely in the 1st percentile of companies rated in the same sector. This could suggest that Tesla is a leader in its sector when it comes to taking good care of its workforce and the communities it impacts.

Tesla's governance score

Governance score: 10.53/100

Tesla's governance score puts it squarely in the 1st percentile of companies rated in the same sector. That could suggest that Tesla is a leader in its sector when it comes to responsible management and strategy, and exposed to a lower level of risk.

Tesla's controversy score

Controversy score: 3/5

ESG scores also evaluate any incidences of controversy that a company has been involved in. Tesla scored a 3 out of 5 for controversy – a middle-of-the-table result reflecting that Tesla hasn't always managed to keep its nose clean.

Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) summary

Tesla Inc was last rated for ESG on: 2019-01-01.

Total ESG score 27.59
Total ESG percentile 60.92
Environmental score 1.25
Environmental score percentile 1
Social score 17.81
Social score percentile 1
Governance score 10.53
Governance score percentile 1
Level of controversy 3

Tesla overview

Tesla, Inc. designs, develops, manufactures, leases, and sells electric vehicles, and energy generation and storage systems in the United States, China, and internationally. The company operates in two segments, Automotive, and Energy Generation and Storage. The Automotive segment offers electric vehicles, as well as sells automotive regulatory credits; and non-warranty after-sales vehicle, used vehicles, body shop and parts, supercharging, retail merchandise, and vehicle insurance services. This segment also provides sedans and sport utility vehicles through direct and used vehicle sales, a network of Tesla Superchargers, and in-app upgrades; purchase financing and leasing services; services for electric vehicles through its company-owned service locations and Tesla mobile service technicians; and vehicle limited warranties and extended service plans. The Energy Generation and Storage segment engages in the design, manufacture, installation, sale, and leasing of solar energy generation and energy storage products, and related services to residential, commercial, and industrial customers and utilities through its website, stores, and galleries, as well as through a network of channel partners; and provision of service and repairs to its energy product customers, including under warranty, as well as various financing options to its solar customers. The company was formerly known as Tesla Motors, Inc. and changed its name to Tesla, Inc. in February 2017. Tesla, Inc. was incorporated in 2003 and is headquartered in Austin, Texas.

Past developments

October 19: Tesla's stock price is down by almost 5% following its latest earnings report where it missed expectations for revenue and profit. Revenue reach $23.4 billion (compared to an expected $24.06 billion) and earnings per share (EPS) hit $0.66 (expectation was $0.74).
07 March 2023: Tesla has announced it's cutting the cost of its cars in an effort to boost sales, with the reduction worth several thousand dollars depending on where you live and which model you choose. This follows big markdowns of up to 20% in January. The move comes as Tesla faces more competition, especially out of China, with industry experts backing rivals. One of these rivals is BYD, which Tesla bear and Berkshire Hathaway vice chairman Charlie Munger is betting on.
01 March 2023: Tesla held its first-ever investor day event at its Austin, Texas Gigafactory. As part of the event, CEO Elon Musk revealed the third installment of the company’s master plan. The main theme was sustainable energy, and the business outlined its intentions to develop a global network of charging stations and energy storage systems that will bring down the cost of EVs. During the event, Tesla also announced its goal of building 20 million EVs by 2030.
24 January 2023: Mr Musk has been accused of defrauding investors after he tweeted on 7 August 2018 that he had "funding secured" to take Tesla private at $420 (£341) per share, and that "investor support is confirmed". Elon Musk has told a court that he believed he had enough backing to take Tesla private at the time he issued a controversial tweet. The boss of the electric car company is on trial after investors claimed the 2018 tweet cost them millions of dollars when a deal did not go ahead.
26 January 2023: In spite of recent turmoil at the electric car maker, Tesla surpassed Wall Street expectations in highly-anticipated fourth-quarter earnings on Wednesday, bolstered by record delivery of electric vehicles during the last three months of 2022. The electric car company posted $24.3bn in revenue, slightly higher than the $24.07bn anticipated by analysts and 33% growth year-over-year.
23 June 2022: Tesla Inc. will replace Facebook’s parent company Meta Platforms as the fifth largest company in FTSE Russell indexes when the rebalancing takes effect on June 27.
21 June 2022: Tesla shares jumped as CEO Elon Musk stressed that demand remains strong despite recession fears and the company is boosting production as fast as humanly possible.

Frequently asked questions about Tesla (TSLA)

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Investments analyst

Kylie Purcell is the senior investments editor and analyst at Finder. She has completed a Certificate of Securities and Managed Investments (RG146) and specialises in investment products including online brokers, robo-advisors, stocks and ETFs. See full bio

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Kylie has written 134 Finder guides across topics including:
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2 Responses

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    LeanneFebruary 23, 2023

    Is the platform fully automated

      AvatarFinder
      KylieApril 17, 2023Finder

      Hi Leanne, I’m not sure which platform you are referring too here, however there are several platforms in Australia that offer automated investing.

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