SpaceX and Tesla earnings put AI spending in focus amid unconfirmed merger talk

SpaceX and Tesla are scheduled to release third-quarter results on successive evenings this week. SpaceX has confirmed October 20, while Tesla has set October 21, putting their financial performance under scrutiny as both pursue costly AI projects.,.

Tesla has already disclosed deliveries of 486,532 vehicles and energy storage deployments totaling 13.7 gigawatt-hours for the quarter. It cautioned that those operating figures do not establish its financial results, which also depend on pricing, costs and other factors..

The earnings releases arrive amid speculation about combining the companies. Barclays has reportedly suggested that a transaction could be announced before Tesla's annual meeting, with SpaceX considered the more likely buyer. Neither company nor Elon Musk has publicly committed to such a deal..

The financial question is how their established businesses support expanding AI investment. SpaceX draws revenue from launches, Starlink and AI computing, while Tesla's operations include vehicles and energy storage. Profitability, cash generation and spending will provide more concrete measures than the unconfirmed merger scenarios..

SpaceX plans its results webcast for 4:30 p.m. Eastern on October 20. Tesla's question-and-answer webcast follows at 5:30 p.m. Eastern on October 21, when management is scheduled to discuss financial performance and its outlook.,.