If at some point, investors decide that cash flows are what is really important about Tesla, then its stock will decline by more than 85% from its recent value of $237.

Tesla ( TSLA 4.71%) stock gained ground today in the lead-up to its first-quarter earnings results, which were published after the market closed. The electric vehicle (EV) leader's share price ended the day up 4.8% amid a 2.5% jump for the S&P 500 and a 2.7% gain for the Nasdaq Composite.

Tesla reported a first-quarter earnings miss after Tuesday's closing bell, and MarketWatch broke down the results and followed along the post-earnings call. The miss seemed irrelevant for the stock, which rallied nearly 5% as investors cheered news that Chief Executive Elon Musk is expecting to spend more time at the EV maker and less time on DOGE starting next month.