Westpac Banking Corp Makes New $22.57 Million Investment in Tesla, Inc. $TSLA

Westpac Banking Corp acquired a new stake in shares of Tesla, Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA) in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm acquired 53,667 shares of the electric vehicle producer’s stock, valued at approximately $22,572,000. Tesla makes up 1.4% of Westpac Banking Corp’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 11th largest holding.

A number of other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Chapman Financial Group LLC bought a new stake in shares of Tesla in the 2nd quarter worth about $26,000. Friedenthal Financial boosted its stake in Tesla by 66.7% during the first quarter. Friedenthal Financial now owns 75 shares of the electric vehicle producer’s stock worth $28,000 after buying an additional 30 shares during the period. Turning Point Benefit Group Inc. bought a new position in Tesla during the third quarter valued at $30,000. Texas Capital Bancshares Inc TX purchased a new stake in shares of Tesla in the third quarter valued at $31,000. Finally, Harborfront Financial Group LLC bought a new stake in shares of Tesla in the 2nd quarter worth about $34,000. 66.20% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

TSLA has been the topic of several analyst reports. Cantor Fitzgerald reiterated an “overweight” rating and set a $485.00 price target (down from $510.00) on shares of Tesla in a report on Thursday, July 23rd. Jefferies Financial Group set a $400.00 target price on Tesla and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, July 13th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price target on Tesla from $475.00 to $445.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, July 23rd. BNP Paribas Exane cut Tesla from a “hold” rating to an “underperform” rating in a report on Friday, June 5th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets initiated coverage on Tesla in a research report on Monday, August 17th. They issued an “outperform” rating on the stock. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-two have assigned a Buy rating, eighteen have assigned a Hold rating and four have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $401.74.

Key Headlines Impacting Tesla

Here are the key news stories impacting Tesla this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Tesla began offering limited Cybercab rides in Austin, marking tangible progress toward its long-promised autonomous-vehicle strategy. The company is also soliciting interest from businesses that may purchase Cybercab fleets or provide supporting infrastructure, potentially expanding the model beyond Tesla-operated vehicles. Tesla Cybercab Hits Austin Streets
• Positive Sentiment: Tesla said the Cybercab motor uses no rare-earth metals, which could reduce supply-chain exposure. Separately, French authorities began testing Tesla’s Full Self-Driving technology, a possible step toward European regulatory progress. Cybercab Rare-Earth-Free Motor
• Neutral Sentiment: Technical analysts identified potential support around $330–$331 after the stock failed to hold resistance near $380. A successful rebound could restore momentum, but a break below roughly $347 could increase downside pressure. Tesla Forecast and Technical Levels
• Negative Sentiment: The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration opened an audit involving approximately 1,000 Cybercabs. Regulators are reviewing Tesla’s self-certification and whether a vehicle without a steering wheel, pedals or conventional mirrors complies with federal safety standards, creating potential approval and rollout delays. NHTSA Cybercab Probe
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts and financial media characterized the event as underwhelming, citing limited updates and unanswered questions about manufacturing scale, commercialization and economics. Bearish commentary—including a reiterated sell rating and an extreme downside forecast—added to the pressure, especially given Tesla’s very high earnings multiple and recent EPS miss. Tesla Stock Drops After Cybercab Update

Tesla Stock Down 5.9%

Shares of NASDAQ:TSLA opened at $354.08 on Friday. The business’s 50 day moving average is $358.22 and its 200 day moving average is $383.10. The stock has a market cap of $1.40 trillion, a P/E ratio of 327.85, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 19.00 and a beta of 1.84. Tesla, Inc. has a 52-week low of $297.38 and a 52-week high of $498.83. The company has a quick ratio of 1.55, a current ratio of 1.94 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.09.

Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, July 23rd. The electric vehicle producer reported $0.33 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.50 by ($0.17). Tesla had a net margin of 3.67% and a return on equity of 3.82%. The firm had revenue of $28.24 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $26.42 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $0.33 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 25.5% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts predict that Tesla, Inc. will post 0.88 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Tesla

In related news, CFO Vaibhav Taneja sold 2,606 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $402.20, for a total value of $1,048,133.20. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 22,039 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $8,864,085.80. This represents a 10.57% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. 19.90% of the stock is owned by insiders.

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.