The EV maker under Elon Musk faces a big tab for future tech bets, putting more scrutiny on the company’s bottom line.

Tesla Wednesday reported an unexpected improvement in earnings for the third quarter, lifting its recently battered shares in after-hours trading.

With shares falling and profits shrinking, Tesla Inc. is increasingly looking like the odd one out among its mega-cap technology peers. Investors worry that quarterly results will make the electric-vehicle maker even more of an outlier.

The lack of clarity about the company’s short-term strategy may be weighing on the stock, which is down 13% this year.