The Motley Foolยท2025-09-25 07:51Core Viewpoint - The most held stock by retail investors on Robinhood has surpassed both Nvidia and Apple, indicating a shift in investor preferences towards companies with significant growth potential and addressable markets [6][10]. Group 1: Retail Investor Trends - The internet has transformed retail investing by providing instant access to financial information and trading capabilities, empowering retail investors to become a significant force on Wall Street [4]. - Robinhood has gained popularity among everyday investors due to features like commission-free trading and the ability to buy fractional shares [5]. - The "100 Most Popular" leaderboard on Robinhood highlights the stocks most held by retail investors, with a notable focus on growth stocks and industry leaders [6][7]. Group 2: Tesla's Market Position - Tesla has been the most held stock on Robinhood for much of the past four years, recognized as North America's leading electric vehicle manufacturer with approximately 1.8 million EVs delivered in the last two years [12][13]. - Tesla's CEO Elon Musk has expanded the company's vision beyond EVs, targeting markets in energy generation, self-driving robotaxis, and humanoid robots, with a projected addressable market exceeding $5 trillion by 2050 for humanoid robots [14][15]. - Despite its strong market position, Tesla faces competitive pressures and has reduced EV prices multiple times, impacting vehicle margins [16]. Group 3: Financial Performance and Risks - Tesla's profitability is partially reliant on automotive regulatory credits and interest income, which are considered unsustainable sources of income [17]. - Elon Musk's ambitious promises regarding full self-driving capabilities and other innovations have often gone unfulfilled, raising concerns about the company's future performance and stock valuation [19][20].