Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) Trading Down 1.2% – Time to Sell?

by · The Cerbat Gem

Shares of Tesla, Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA – Get Free Report) fell 1.2% on Tuesday . The stock traded as low as $453.83 and last traded at $454.3050. 58,553,255 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 40% from the average session volume of 97,912,938 shares. The stock had previously closed at $459.64.

More Tesla News

Here are the key news stories impacting Tesla this week:

  • Positive Sentiment: Progress on robotaxi/Cybercab scale-up: Elon Musk has teased Cybercab production scaling (mass production slated in 2026), which supports Tesla’s long‑term autonomous revenue thesis and is a major upside catalyst if regulators and operations cooperate. Elon Musk Teases Tesla Cybercab Scale-Up
  • Positive Sentiment: Institutional confidence pockets remain: some firms (Baird, Canaccord) have reiterated bullish targets near $548–$551, signaling upside among buy‑side analysts despite short‑term delivery concerns. After Four Red Days in a Row, Is Tesla’s Rally in Trouble?
  • Neutral Sentiment: High‑profile investors clarity: Michael Burry has stated he is not currently shorting TSLA — removes a headline short‑pressure risk but doesn’t change fundamentals. Michael Burry Is Not Short Tesla Stock
  • Neutral Sentiment: Elon Musk donated ~210,000 shares to charity as year‑end tax planning — a non‑cash transfer that slightly changes insider holdings but is not an outright sale; watch filing details for lockup/vesting implications. Elon Musk gave nearly $100 million worth of Tesla shares to charity
  • Neutral Sentiment: Strategic/market framing items — SpaceX IPO/SPARC ideas and long‑term price forecasts keep speculative interest in Tesla but don’t change near‑term delivery risk. Bill Ackman Has a Bold Idea for a SpaceX IPO
  • Negative Sentiment: Downbeat delivery outlook: Tesla posted a company‑compiled analyst consensus pointing to roughly a mid‑teens decline in Q4 deliveries vs. year‑ago — the single largest near‑term catalyst pressuring the stock. Tesla Deliveries Should Be Weak. Will It Matter to the Stock?
  • Negative Sentiment: Sell‑side friction: UBS reiterated a Sell with a $247 target and that call has drawn public criticism (Jim Cramer), adding volatility and headline risk around analyst coverage. UBS’ Tesla (TSLA) Coverage is “Sad,” Says Jim Cramer
  • Negative Sentiment: Profit‑taking & valuation risk: shares have pulled back after recent highs; valuation (P/E north of 300) leaves little room for miss—any further evidence of slowing deliveries or margins could amplify downside. After Four Red Days in a Row, Is Tesla’s Rally in Trouble?
  • Negative Sentiment: Investor exits and trimmed forecasts: visible selling from high‑profile funds (e.g., Ark trimming) and analysts lowering growth estimates increase near‑term pressure. Cathie Wood Is Selling Tesla Stock Yet Again

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

TSLA has been the subject of several recent research reports. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lifted their price target on Tesla from $470.00 to $500.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, December 19th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Tesla in a research note on Thursday, October 30th. Baird R W raised Tesla from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Friday, September 19th. The Goldman Sachs Group reissued a “neutral” rating on shares of Tesla in a research report on Wednesday, December 17th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Tesla in a research note on Monday, December 22nd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty have assigned a Buy rating, fourteen have issued a Hold rating and nine have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $414.50.

Check Out Our Latest Stock Report on TSLA

Tesla Stock Performance

The stock has a market capitalization of $1.50 trillion, a PE ratio of 299.81, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 11.48 and a beta of 1.87. The company has a current ratio of 2.07, a quick ratio of 1.67 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $445.67 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $389.64.

Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA – Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 23rd. The electric vehicle producer reported $0.50 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.48 by $0.02. The business had revenue of $28.10 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $24.98 billion. Tesla had a return on equity of 6.61% and a net margin of 5.51%.The business’s revenue was up 11.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $0.72 earnings per share. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Tesla, Inc. will post 2.56 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Tesla

In related news, Director Kimbal Musk sold 56,820 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, December 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $450.66, for a total value of $25,606,501.20. Following the transaction, the director owned 1,391,615 shares in the company, valued at $627,145,215.90. The trade was a 3.92% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, CFO Vaibhav Taneja sold 2,637 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, December 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $443.93, for a total value of $1,170,643.41. Following the sale, the chief financial officer owned 13,757 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,107,145.01. This trade represents a 16.09% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders own 19.90% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Tesla

A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Turning Point Benefit Group Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Tesla in the third quarter valued at about $30,000. Manning & Napier Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Tesla in the third quarter worth $29,000. Texas Capital Bancshares Inc TX acquired a new stake in shares of Tesla during the third quarter worth $31,000. Westend Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in Tesla during the 3rd quarter valued at about $32,000. Finally, Chapman Financial Group LLC bought a new position in shares of Tesla in the second quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 66.20% of the company’s stock.

About Tesla

(Get Free Report)

Tesla, Inc (NASDAQ: TSLA) is an American company that designs, manufactures and sells electric vehicles, energy generation and energy storage products. Founded in 2003 by Martin Eberhard and Marc Tarpenning, Tesla grew into a vertically integrated mobility and clean‑energy company with Elon Musk serving as its chief executive officer. The company’s stated mission is to accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy, reflected in its combined focus on electric drivetrains, battery technology, renewable energy products and software.

Tesla’s automotive business includes a lineup of battery‑electric vehicles and related services.

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