Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) Trading Down 2.7% After Analyst Downgrade

Tesla, Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA) traded down 2.7% during trading on Tuesday after BNP Paribas Exane lowered their price target on the stock from $313.00 to $280.00. BNP Paribas Exane currently has an underperform rating on the stock. Tesla traded as low as $385.39 and last traded at $392.43. 62,153,592 shares traded hands during trading, an increase of 1% from the average session volume of 61,358,059 shares. The stock had previously closed at $403.32.

A number of other analysts also recently issued reports on TSLA. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Tesla in a research report on Tuesday, January 27th. Piper Sandler reissued an “overweight” rating on shares of Tesla in a report on Thursday, January 29th. HSBC reaffirmed a “reduce” rating on shares of Tesla in a report on Monday, November 17th. Cantor Fitzgerald reiterated an “overweight” rating and set a $510.00 target price on shares of Tesla in a research report on Thursday, January 29th. Finally, William Blair reissued a “market perform” rating on shares of Tesla in a research report on Friday, January 2nd. Eighteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, fourteen have given a Hold rating and nine have given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $407.15.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Director Kathleen Wilson-Thompson sold 25,731 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $415.56, for a total transaction of $10,692,774.36. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 19,669 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $8,173,649.64. The trade was a 56.68% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CFO Vaibhav Taneja sold 2,637 shares of the firm’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 transaction of $1,170,643.41. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 13,757 shares in the company, valued at $6,107,145.01. This represents a 16.09% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold a total of 145,188 shares of company stock worth $64,193,919 over the last three months. Corporate insiders own 19.90% of the company’s stock.

Key Stories Impacting Tesla

Here are the key news stories impacting Tesla this week:

• Positive Sentiment: European demand is showing signs of recovery — official data and reports say Tesla gained share in France and Norway in February, supporting the case that international sales can offset weakness elsewhere. Tesla gains market in France, Norway
• Positive Sentiment: AI + robotics remain a core long‑term upside: coverage highlights Tesla’s Optimus/robotics and autonomy roadmap as a multi‑year growth driver — a narrative that can re-rate the stock if execution or regulatory clarity improves. 5 Stocks Racing Ahead as AI Supercharges Robotics
• Neutral Sentiment: Tesla raised Cybertruck AWD pricing after an initial launch window — could lift ASPs if demand holds, but the price move also tests demand elasticity amid softer volumes. Elon Musk’s Tesla Hikes Cybertruck AWD Price
• Negative Sentiment: NHTSA/FSD regulatory risk is front‑and‑center: a March 9 deadline to submit full FSD data creates a binary outcome — a clean submission could calm the market, while any perceived deficiency would likely amplify selling. Tesla’s 2026 May Hinge on a March 9 Outcome
• Negative Sentiment: An analyst move amplified downside pressure: BNP Paribas Exane lowered its price target to $280 and maintained an underperform rating, signaling renewed sell‑side skepticism about valuation and execution. BNP Paribas adjusts price target on Tesla
• Negative Sentiment: Macro/geo risks and rising rates/oil are hitting growth stocks: escalation in the Middle East and higher yields/oil are cited as drivers of Wednesday’s selloff in Tesla and other growth names. Why Tesla Stock Is Crashing Over 4% On Tuesday
• Negative Sentiment: New battery/replacement‑cost data and ongoing autonomy/legal scrutiny keep focus on execution risks and ownership costs — issues that can weigh on consumer demand and margins if they gain traction. New Tesla Battery Data Emerges

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Tesla

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in TSLA. Narwhal Capital Management raised its position in Tesla by 32.8% during the third quarter. Narwhal Capital Management now owns 9,516 shares of the electric vehicle producer’s stock valued at $4,232,000 after purchasing an additional 2,350 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank bought a new position in shares of Tesla in the 2nd quarter valued at $11,839,824,000. Police & Firemen s Retirement System of New Jersey raised its holdings in shares of Tesla by 5.6% during the 2nd quarter. Police & Firemen s Retirement System of New Jersey now owns 427,150 shares of the electric vehicle producer’s stock worth $135,688,000 after buying an additional 22,607 shares in the last quarter. China Universal Asset Management Co. Ltd. lifted its position in shares of Tesla by 8.8% during the 3rd quarter. China Universal Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 48,504 shares of the electric vehicle producer’s stock worth $21,571,000 after buying an additional 3,935 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC boosted its stake in Tesla by 26.0% in the third quarter. Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC now owns 18,032 shares of the electric vehicle producer’s stock valued at $8,019,000 after buying an additional 3,724 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 66.20% of the company’s stock.

Tesla Stock Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.08, a current ratio of 2.16 and a quick ratio of 1.77. The stock has a market cap of $1.47 trillion, a P/E ratio of 363.30, a PEG ratio of 14.33 and a beta of 1.86. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $431.75 and a 200-day simple moving average of $422.03.

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

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.