Rumor: Hedgie To Present Tesla Motors Inc. Short Thesis Monday

Tesla Motors Inc.

could become the subject of a short-interest thesis presented at a prominent investment conference next week, according to random market chatter Wednesday. Short interest represents about 23 percent of Tesla's public float as of mid April, and has been slowly on the rise since February. Tesla, scheduled to post earnings May 6, is expected to announce a new line of battery products Thursday. Its shares are up 26 percent in the past month and traded recently at $232.33, up $1.85. The annual Sohn Conference, a fundraiser for cancer research, is slated for Monday in New York and presents a prominent platform for hedge fund mavens to sound off on their favored strategies. Among presentations last year, David Einhorn of Greenlight Capital presented a short-interest thesis on Athenahealth Inc.

, while Zach Schreiber of PointState Capital predicted a sharp drop in the price of oil. http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2014/05/05/live-blog-investors-gather-for-sohn-conference/?_r=0 Monday's lineup includes a long list of Wall Street stars including Einhorn, William Ackman, David Tepper and others. http://www.sohnconference.org/