UPDATE: Jefferies Reiterates Buy Rating, Raises PT on Tesla Motors Ahead of 4Q12 Earnings Report

In a report published Monday, Jefferies reiterated its Buy rating on Tesla Motors

, and raised its price target from $36.00 to $45.00. Jefferies noted, “This past weekend the NY Times published a negative article on the Model S; our conclusion is that the reporter's experience was likely due to improper charging protocol. TSLA is expected to report 4Q:12 earnings later this week; we expect an in line quarter and confirmation of 2013 targets. Model S delivery times are now as short as several months; we expect the focus to be on new reservations. We increase our price target to $45.” Tesla Motors closed on Friday at $39.24.