The Globe and Mail reports in its Thursday edition that Tesla posted a surprise positive cash flow on Wednesday in the third quarter as it spent far less on its artificial intelligence and robotics ambitions than Wall Street expected. A Reuters dispatch to The Globe says that meanwhile, chief executive officer Elon Musk is weighing a merger with his rocket company, SpaceX. Tesla is walking a tightrope. The unexpected cash flow could bolster its case as investors weigh its value in a potential merger. But with much of its value tied to AI, robotaxis and humanoid robots, preserving cash at the expense of investment could undermine the very growth story investors are betting on. "Capex seems to be the magic number," said Ryan Lee at Direxion, which offers exchange-traded funds tied to Tesla. "The market continues to behave like Goldilocks -- we don't want to see too much or too little here." The company also beat estimates for Q3 revenue as a rebound in vehicle deliveries, helped by high gasoline prices, especially in Europe, and growth in its energy storage unit lifted sales. Mr. Musk said that a merger between Tesla and SpaceX was a "good idea" and that the companies had formed special committees to discuss a deal.