Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) Shares Down 2.2% – Here’s What Happened

Tesla, Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA)’s share price was down 2.2% on Friday . The company traded as low as $394.21 and last traded at $396.73. Approximately 63,549,628 shares traded hands during trading, an increase of 4% from the average daily volume of 61,241,613 shares. The stock had previously closed at $405.55.

Key Stories Impacting Tesla

Here are the key news stories impacting Tesla this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Bank of America and other buy-side coverage/analyst upgrades highlight longer-term upside (robotaxi and truck profitability themes) that support confidence among some investors. BofA Upgrades Ford (F), Tesla (TSLA), and GM (GM) Stock
• Positive Sentiment: Recent buy/upgrade coverage (Barron’s) has lifted sentiment for some investors who see a path to reversing TSLA’s 2026 slump. Tesla Stock Rises After Buy Upgrade
• Positive Sentiment: Europe registrations rose ~10% in February, suggesting patchy but improving European demand that could help offset weakness in other markets. Tesla’s Europe registrations rise 10% in February
• Positive Sentiment: Patent filings (new seat design) and continued product development (Roadster, Optimus robotics) keep optionality intact for growth investors. Tesla Patent Points to Bold New Seat Design for Next-Gen Roadster
• Positive Sentiment: Put-option premiums are elevated; selling short-dated out‑of‑the‑money puts can generate yield and let value-focused investors set a lower effective entry price. This is attracting income-oriented flows and short‑seller strategies. Tesla Put Option Premiums Are High – Attractive To Short Shellers And Value Investors
• Neutral Sentiment: Macro/tech weakness is pressuring EV and growth stocks broadly; market-wide selling can push TSLA lower even absent company-specific news. TSLA, PLTR and SMCI Forecast – Tech Stocks Under Pressure Early
• Neutral Sentiment: High-profile ambition (AGI/Optimus) and battery projects keep the long-term narrative intact, but they remain execution-sensitive and speculative for near-term returns. Elon Musk Says Tesla’s Robots Could One Day Reach AGI-Level Intelligence
• Negative Sentiment: Regulatory risk: a March 9 NHTSA deadline to provide detailed Full Self‑Driving (FSD) data is a near-term catalyst that could increase volatility if disclosures disappoint or trigger enforcement action. Tesla’s 2026 May Hinge on a March 9 Outcome
• Negative Sentiment: UK sales plunged ~37% in February amid rising competition from BYD and other Chinese rivals — evidence that Tesla faces accelerating pricing and market-share pressure in key markets. Tesla UK car sales drop 37%
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst cuts and price-target reductions (including a notable $280 target in recent coverage) have pressured sentiment and could limit near-term upside until results or guidance improve. BNP Paribas Exane Cuts Tesla Price Target
• Negative Sentiment: Competitive threats such as BYD’s faster-charging/battery developments raise the risk of technology/price disruption to Tesla’s core EV margins and growth. BYD Could Put Rival Tesla in the Slow Lane With New 5 Minute Charger

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts have commented on TSLA shares. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price target on Tesla from $130.00 to $125.00 and set an “underweight” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, January 29th. Canaccord Genuity Group set a $520.00 price target on Tesla in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. Benchmark reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Tesla in a research report on Wednesday, February 11th. TD Cowen upped their price objective on shares of Tesla from $509.00 to $519.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, January 29th. Finally, Mizuho set a $540.00 target price on shares of Tesla and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. Nineteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have given a Hold rating and nine have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Tesla presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $406.84.

Tesla Stock Down 2.2%

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.08, a quick ratio of 1.77 and a current ratio of 2.16. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $426.74 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $422.24. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.49 trillion, a PE ratio of 367.34, a P/E/G ratio of 14.45 and a beta of 1.89.

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

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Tesla news, Director James R. Murdoch sold 60,000 shares of Tesla stock in a transaction on Friday, January 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $445.40, for a total transaction of $26,724,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, 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 ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, Director Kimbal Musk sold 56,820 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on 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 completion of the sale, the director directly owned 1,391,615 shares in the company, valued at $627,145,215.90. This trade represents a 3.92% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 145,188 shares of company stock valued at $64,193,919. 19.90% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Networth Advisors LLC bought a new position in Tesla in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Davidson Capital Management Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Tesla by 79.4% during the fourth quarter. Davidson Capital Management Inc. now owns 61 shares of the electric vehicle producer’s stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 27 shares in the last quarter. Turning Point Benefit Group Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Tesla during the third quarter valued at $30,000. Manning & Napier Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Tesla in the 3rd quarter worth about $29,000. Finally, Prism Advisors Inc. purchased a new position in Tesla in the 4th quarter worth about $30,000. 66.20% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Tesla

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.