Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) Shares Down 3.1% – Time to Sell?

Tesla, Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA)’s share price was down 3.1% on Monday . The company traded as low as $434.28 and last traded at $435.20. Approximately 48,905,895 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 23% from the average daily volume of 63,595,355 shares. The stock had previously closed at $449.06.

Key Headlines Impacting Tesla

Here are the key news stories impacting Tesla this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Germany’s revival of EV purchase subsidies should help global BEV demand and provide a tailwind to automakers, including Tesla’s European demand outlook. Germany Revives EV Subsidies
• Positive Sentiment: Speculation that Elon Musk could reveal FSD Gen 3 in February is being viewed as a potential major catalyst—linking valuation to a large robotaxi opportunity if the tech and commercialization progress materially. Will Elon Musk Reveal FSD Gen 3 in February?
• Neutral Sentiment: Binance plans an equity perpetual futures contract tied to TSLA, which can raise trading liquidity and synthetic exposure but may also amplify volatility. Binance to launch Tesla-linked perpetual futures contract
• Neutral Sentiment: Mainstream coverage flags that Musk’s self-driving ambitions are the key narrative for Wednesday’s results—earnings may hinge more on progress updates than short‑term vehicle metrics. Musk’s self-driving ambitions key for Tesla results
• Negative Sentiment: Coverage notes continued robotaxi rollout delays and admitted “agonizingly slow” timing, boosting concerns that rivals (e.g., Waymo) capture market share—this undermines the multi‑trillion TAM narrative that supports Tesla’s premium valuation. Tesla’s Robotaxi Delays: Who Benefits Most from Waymo’s Lead?
• Negative Sentiment: Elon Musk’s move to raise FSD pricing expectations and commentary on monetization has already pressured the stock as investors debate near‑term uptake and margin impact of software pricing changes. Tesla Stock Dips as Musk Announces ‘Incrementally’ Higher FSD Pricing
• Negative Sentiment: Reports of another director departure and ongoing executive churn raise governance and execution concerns for some investors. Tesla Stock Drops With Another Director Lost
• Negative Sentiment: Options market activity and commentary that put options look attractive ahead of earnings suggest traders are positioning for downside or higher volatility into the report. Tesla Inc Put Options Still Look Attractive

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages have weighed in on TSLA. TD Cowen reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Tesla in a research note on Monday, November 17th. Morgan Stanley restated a “positive” rating on shares of Tesla in a research report on Thursday. HSBC reiterated a “reduce” rating on shares of Tesla in a research report on Monday, November 17th. New Street Research boosted their price objective on shares of Tesla from $520.00 to $600.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 6th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company reaffirmed an “underweight” rating and issued a $130.00 target price (up from $120.00) on shares of Tesla in a report on Monday, January 12th. Eighteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have issued a Hold rating and eight have given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $410.77.

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 stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $444.81 and a 200-day simple moving average of $404.75. The firm has a market cap of $1.45 trillion, a PE ratio of 290.13, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 7.63 and a beta of 1.83.

Insider Activity at Tesla

In other Tesla news, Director James R. Murdoch sold 60,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, January 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $445.40, for a total transaction of $26,724,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 577,031 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $257,009,607.40. This trade represents a 9.42% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CFO Vaibhav Taneja sold 2,637 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, December 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $443.93, for a total transaction 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 represents a 16.09% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 119,457 shares of company stock valued at $53,501,145. 19.90% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of Tesla

Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of TSLA. Networth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Tesla during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Turning Point Benefit Group Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Tesla in the 3rd quarter worth about $30,000. Manning & Napier Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Tesla during the 3rd quarter valued at about $29,000. Prism Advisors Inc. bought a new position in shares of Tesla in the 4th quarter valued at about $30,000. Finally, Texas Capital Bancshares Inc TX purchased a new position in Tesla in the third quarter worth about $31,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 66.20% of the company’s stock.

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.