Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) Cut to “Strong Sell” at Zacks Research

Zacks Research downgraded shares of Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) from a hold rating to a strong sell rating in a research report report published on Monday,Zacks.com reports. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Tesla’s Q2 2026 earnings at $0.27 EPS and FY2028 earnings at $0.52 EPS.

A number of other equities analysts have also issued reports on the company. Glj Research reaffirmed a “sell” rating on shares of Tesla in a research note on Monday. Needham & Company LLC reissued a “hold” rating on shares of Tesla in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. BNP Paribas Exane decreased their target price on Tesla from $313.00 to $280.00 and set an “underperform” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, March 2nd. DZ Bank reaffirmed a “sell” rating on shares of Tesla in a report on Thursday, January 29th. Finally, Morgan Stanley set a $415.00 price target on shares of Tesla and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 29th. Nineteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have assigned a Hold rating and ten have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $403.98.

Tesla Stock Up 2.6%

TSLA stock opened at $381.26 on Monday. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $404.61 and its two-hundred day moving average is $428.32. The company has a market capitalization of $1.43 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 353.02, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 11.00 and a beta of 1.91. Tesla has a 52 week low of $214.25 and a 52 week high of $498.83. The company has a current ratio of 2.16, a quick ratio of 1.77 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.08.

Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 28th. The electric vehicle producer reported $0.50 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.45 by $0.05. Tesla had a net margin of 4.00% and a return on equity of 4.86%. The business had revenue of $24.90 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $24.75 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $0.73 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was down 3.1% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts forecast that Tesla will post 2.56 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at Tesla

In related news, Director Kathleen Wilson-Thompson sold 25,731 shares of Tesla stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $415.56, for a total value of $10,692,774.36. Following the transaction, the director owned 19,669 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $8,173,649.64. This trade represents a 56.68% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, Director James R. Murdoch sold 60,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $445.40, for a total value of $26,724,000.00. Following the sale, the director owned 577,031 shares in the company, valued at approximately $257,009,607.40. The trade was a 9.42% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold 87,995 shares of company stock worth $38,315,650 in the last quarter. 19.90% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Tesla

Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Brighton Jones LLC boosted its stake in shares of Tesla by 11.8% during the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 87,929 shares of the electric vehicle producer’s stock valued at $35,509,000 after buying an additional 9,293 shares during the period. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC increased its stake in shares of Tesla by 21.2% in the fourth quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC now owns 5,317 shares of the electric vehicle producer’s stock worth $2,147,000 after acquiring an additional 931 shares during the last quarter. Bison Wealth LLC raised its holdings in shares of Tesla by 52.2% during the fourth quarter. Bison Wealth LLC now owns 10,368 shares of the electric vehicle producer’s stock worth $4,187,000 after acquiring an additional 3,558 shares in the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC boosted its position in Tesla by 9.1% during the second quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 12,135 shares of the electric vehicle producer’s stock valued at $3,855,000 after purchasing an additional 1,011 shares during the last quarter. Finally, AGP Franklin LLC boosted its position in Tesla by 21.2% during the second quarter. AGP Franklin LLC now owns 4,861 shares of the electric vehicle producer’s stock valued at $1,544,000 after purchasing an additional 851 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 66.20% of the company’s stock.

Tesla News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Tesla this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Elon Musk said a broader release of FSD 14.3 is expected by the week’s end — a near‑term product catalyst that supports Tesla’s autonomy narrative and upside to future software revenue. Musk: FSD 14.3 broader release
• Positive Sentiment: European sales data show a sharp rebound — French registrations more than tripled in March and Nordic markets also surged, signaling improving continental demand after last year’s market share loss. This underpins delivery optimism and regional recovery expectations. France registrations triple
• Positive Sentiment: CEO Musk flagged a “big” investment in Japan to expand service and Supercharger capacity — a tangible infrastructure spending plan that can improve ownership economics and sales prospects in a key market. Musk: Japan investment
• Neutral Sentiment: Market focus on Q1 deliveries — consensus expects ~365–366k units but several outlets flag a likely sequential dip; the delivery print (due early Thursday) is the imminent event risk that will drive volatility either way. Q1 deliveries likely dip
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts are re‑rating and adjusting models: Canaccord nudged delivery estimates but cut its price target, reflecting mixed analyst views that keep upside/downside balanced ahead of the print. Canaccord cuts PT
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks Research downgraded TSLA to “Strong Sell” and trimmed EPS forecasts — a formal sell rating and lowered estimates that can pressure sentiment and trigger further analyst negativity. Zacks downgrades to Strong Sell
• Negative Sentiment: Competition is heating: Nio reported a 136% YoY surge in March deliveries, highlighting regional share challenges that could cap Tesla’s growth expectations in China and Europe. Nio delivery surge
• Negative Sentiment: Elon Musk announced the end of Model S and X production — removes higher‑margin lines and underscores Tesla’s shift toward new product priorities (robotaxis/Optimus), which some investors view as near‑term margin risk. Model S/X production ends
• Negative Sentiment: Several outlets flag margin and growth risks — lingering worries about profitability, high valuation and potential delivery softness keep downside risk if the upcoming delivery report disappoints. Margin & valuation concerns

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.