WASHINGTON, Oct 22 (Bernama-dpa) -- Electric car manufacturer Tesla saw profit fall in the third quarter, the company announced on Wednesday, reported German news agency dpa.
The company's earnings totalled US$787 million, or US$0.22 per share. This compares with US$1.373 billion, or US$0.39 per share, last year.
Excluding items, the car manufacturer, led by tech billionaire Elon Musk, reported adjusted earnings of US$1.697 billion or US$0.48 per share for the period.
The company's revenue for the period fell 0.2 per cent to US$28.046 billion from US$28.095 billion last year.
On Tuesday, Musk said Tesla and SpaceX are exploring a potential merger, adding that both companies had formed special committees at the request of shareholders to examine the possibility.
A merger between Tesla and SpaceX has long been the subject of speculation, but Musk has previously been evasive about the prospect. He said he personally believed a combination would be a good idea, but cautioned that it would be an exaggeration to say it would definitely happen.
Musk noted that such a move would require the approval of at least 50 per cent of Tesla shareholders.
--BERNAMA-dpa