Why Tesla Is Poised to Pull Back

Based on the aggregated intelligence of 180,000-plus investors participating in Motley Fool CAPS, the Fool's free investing community, electric vehicle operator Tesla Motors (NASDAQ: TSLA  ) has received a distressing two-star ranking.

With that in mind, let's take a closer look at Tesla and see what CAPS investors are saying about the stock right now.

Tesla facts

Headquarters	Palo Alto, Calif. (2003)
Market Cap	$5.8 billion
Industry	10 Best Quality Stocks To Watch Right Now Automobile manufacturers
Trailing-12-Month Revenue	$413.3 million
Management	Co-Founder/Chairman/CEO Elon Musk CFO Deepak Ahuja
Return on Equity (average, past 3 years)	(45.9%)
Cash/Debt	$201.9 million / $466.7 million
Competitors	General Motors Pininfarina Toyota Motor

Sources: S&P Capital IQ and Motley Fool CAPS.

On CAPS, 34% of the 1,269 members who have rated Tesla believe the stock will underperform the S&P 500 going forward.

Just last week, one of those bears, FreePoetInvestor, tapped the stock's recent surge as seemingly unsustainable:

Tesla stock has made impressive gains over the past month -- it has demonstrated that it can make a profit, and it's offered a new financial scheme for buys, to lease the Model S for those that might not have the means to afford the steep price-tag. That said, the recent performance also feels fueled by some hype. Tesla still has a long ways to go before becoming the going concern it needs to be. ... Over the long term, there may be potential, but this recent uptick feels a bit overdone.

Near-faultless execution has led Tesla Motors to the brink of success, but the road ahead remains a hard one. Despite progress, a looming question remains: Will Tesla be able to fend off its big-name competitors? The Motley Fool answers this question and more in our most in-depth Tesla research available for smart investors like you. Thousands have already claimed their own premium ticker coverage, and you can gain instant access to your own by clicking here now.