Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) Trading Down 2.6% on Analyst Downgrade

Tesla, Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA) shares fell 2.6% during mid-day trading on Friday after Truist Financial lowered their price target on the stock from $444.00 to $439.00. Truist Financial currently has a hold rating on the stock. Tesla traded as low as $435.30 and last traded at $438.07. 84,634,454 shares were traded during mid-day trading, an increase of 19% from the average session volume of 71,083,032 shares. The stock had previously closed at $449.72.

TSLA has been the topic of several other reports. UBS Group reaffirmed a “sell” rating on shares of Tesla in a research report on Tuesday, December 23rd. Cowen reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Tesla in a report on Monday, November 17th. Canaccord Genuity Group lifted their price objective on Tesla from $482.00 to $551.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, December 23rd. BNP Paribas Exane started coverage on Tesla in a research report on Thursday, October 16th. They issued an “underperform” rating and a $307.00 target price for the company. Finally, BNP Paribas raised their price target on shares of Tesla from $307.00 to $313.00 in a report on Monday, December 1st. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty have given a Buy rating, fourteen have assigned a Hold rating and nine have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Tesla presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $414.36.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director Kimbal Musk sold 56,820 shares of the firm’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 of the company’s stock, valued at $627,145,215.90. This trade represents a 3.92% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CFO Vaibhav Taneja sold 2,637 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, December 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $443.93, for a total value of $1,170,643.41. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 13,757 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,107,145.01. This trade represents a 16.09% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders own 19.90% of the company’s stock.

Key Stores Impacting Tesla

Here are the key news stories impacting Tesla this week:

• Positive Sentiment: RBC reiterated a “buy” on TSLA with a $500 price target — a signal that some large brokers still see meaningful upside tied to Tesla’s longer‑term story. MarketScreener Latest Ratings
• Positive Sentiment: Dan Ives and other bulls kept high targets and public optimism about Tesla’s valuation if autonomy/robotaxi execution accelerates — a reminder investors are pricing optionality beyond car volumes. Dan Ives Maintains Street-High Tesla Price Target
• Positive Sentiment: Record energy‑storage deployments in Q4 were disclosed alongside vehicle numbers — a business line that can help revenue diversification and offset auto weakness. Benzinga: Tesla Deliveries Slide, Energy Storage Hits Records
• Neutral Sentiment: Some Wall Street coverage and commentators note Tesla can “shake off” the delivery miss because investors are focused on AI/autonomy upside — but that view depends on execution and timing. TSLA: Tesla Stock Rises Despite Missing Q4 Delivery Estimates
• Neutral Sentiment: Canaccord and other sell‑side analysts are discussing CyberCab/robotaxi scale plans for 2026 — bullish if achieved but execution risk remains. Canaccord Genuity on CyberCab Production
• Negative Sentiment: Tesla reported Q4 deliveries (~418k) down ~16% year‑over‑year and full‑year sales declined for a second consecutive year, missing already‑low Street expectations — the direct driver of today’s negative price reaction. Reuters: Tesla’s quarterly deliveries fall
• Negative Sentiment: BYD overtook Tesla as the world’s top battery‑electric seller in 2025 — a strategic and competitive setback that raises pricing and market‑share concerns, especially in China and Europe. MarketWatch: BYD overtakes Tesla
• Negative Sentiment: Regional weakness (sharp registration declines in parts of Europe) and the expiration of U.S. federal EV tax breaks were cited as reasons for demand softness — risks to near‑term volumes. Benzinga: Tesla’s European slump worsens
• Negative Sentiment: Some broker moves trimmed targets/ratings (Truist trimmed price target to $439 and maintained a Hold; other houses remain cautious), adding pressure for disappointed near‑term returns. TickerReport: Truist lowers PT on Tesla

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Tesla

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Turning Point Benefit Group Inc. bought a new position in shares of Tesla during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Manning & Napier Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Tesla during the third quarter valued at $29,000. Texas Capital Bancshares Inc TX bought a new position in Tesla during the third quarter valued at $31,000. Westend Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Tesla in the 3rd quarter worth $32,000. Finally, Chapman Financial Group LLC bought a new stake in shares of Tesla in the 2nd quarter worth about $26,000. 66.20% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Tesla Price Performance

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 50-day moving average price is $445.77 and its 200-day moving average price is $390.82. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.46 trillion, a PE ratio of 292.05, a PEG ratio of 7.18 and a beta of 1.83.

Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 23rd. The electric vehicle producer reported $0.50 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.48 by $0.02. The business had revenue of $28.10 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $24.98 billion. Tesla had a net margin of 5.51% and a return on equity of 6.61%. The business’s revenue was up 11.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $0.72 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts forecast that Tesla, Inc. will post 2.56 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Tesla Company Profile

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.