Tesla’s third-quarter sales were almost unchanged from a year earlier, while reported profit attributable to common shareholders declined. The company’s 21 October 2026 update reported $28.046 billion revenue for the three months ended 30 September, against $28.095 billion a year earlier.
The earnings comparison is less stable than the sales line. GAAP profit attributable to common shareholders was $787 million, down from $1.373 billion. Total consolidated net income was a different figure, $804 million, before allocating the interests of other shareholders in subsidiaries.
Read the earnings bases separately
| Measure | Verified figure |
|---|---|
| Revenue | $28.046 billion Source |
| Operating income | $718 million Source |
| GAAP net income attributable to common shareholders | $787 million Source |
| GAAP diluted EPS | $0.22 Source |
| Non-GAAP diluted EPS | $0.48; company-adjusted measure Source |
| Operating cash flow / capital expenditure | $6.263 billion / $4.732 billion Source |
EPS means earnings per share. Tesla’s non-GAAP calculation excludes specified items, including share-based compensation, unrealized digital-asset and SpaceX-investment movements, and certain tax items. The $0.48 adjusted figure must not replace the $0.22 shown under US accounting rules.
Cash generation gives another perspective
Subtracting $4.732 billion of capital expenditure from $6.263 billion of operating cash flow gives $1.531 billion free cash flow under Tesla’s definition. This is a non-GAAP cash calculation, not net profit or a prediction of the next quarter.
Readers can compare the results with CapKet’s earlier Tesla delivery report. Deliveries, sales, operating profit and shareholder earnings measure different things; one cannot establish the others on its own.
The practical question for subsequent reports is whether cash generation and reported earnings move together as investment continues. This quarter’s figures do not establish a future return from any planned product or project.
Official evidence and scope
Tesla official results and financial tables. Source observed at 2026-10-22T06:16:47.495Z. Figures refer to the stated reporting period, not a live market quotation. The source comparison is AI-assisted, not independent human editorial approval. No share-price reaction or investment recommendation is asserted.
Tesla supplementary official results resource, observed at 2026-10-22T06:22:17.570Z. This issuer resource and the main document are not independent corroborating sources.
Recorded source observation: . This is a source-check timestamp, not a market quote or a new article update.