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

Tesla, Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA)’s stock price was down 2.7% during mid-day 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. Approximately 62,153,592 shares changed hands during trading, an increase of 1% from the average daily volume of 61,358,059 shares. The stock had previously closed at $403.32.

Other equities analysts have also recently issued reports about the company. Glj Research restated a “sell” rating on shares of Tesla in a research note on Tuesday, February 24th. TD Cowen raised 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. DZ Bank reaffirmed a “sell” rating on shares of Tesla in a research report on Thursday, January 29th. Tigress Financial started coverage on shares of Tesla in a report on Thursday, February 12th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $550.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Barclays reaffirmed a “neutral” rating on shares of Tesla in a report on Wednesday, February 18th. Nineteen equities 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, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $406.84.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director Kathleen Wilson-Thompson sold 25,731 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 25th. The shares were 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 directly owned 19,669 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $8,173,649.64. This represents a 56.68% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director James R. Murdoch sold 60,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on 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 completion of the sale, the director directly owned 577,031 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $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 have sold a total of 145,188 shares of company stock worth $64,193,919 over the last ninety days. 19.90% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Key Tesla News

Here are the key news stories impacting Tesla this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Bank of America resumed coverage with a Buy rating and $460 price target, calling Tesla the current leader in consumer autonomy and robotaxis — a high‑profile vote of confidence that lifts sentiment. Tesla Stock Is Rising as It Gets a New Vote of Confidence From Wall Street
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and outlets are emphasizing Tesla’s autonomy upside — some argue the self‑driving/robotaxi opportunity could be worth more than the EV division, supporting a higher multiple. Tesla’s self-driving effort could be worth more than double its EV division
• Positive Sentiment: New footage and reports of a Model Y completing a long FSD run without intervention have reignited optimism about software progress and commercial autonomy prospects. Tesla Model Y Completes Huge FSD Run Without Intervention, Tesla Stock (NASDAQ:TSLA) Surges
• Positive Sentiment: Some European markets showed signs of sales stabilization/rebound in February (France, Portugal), reducing near‑term delivery worries in key markets. Does Tesla’s February Sales Surge Signal a Turnaround in Europe?
• Neutral Sentiment: Elon Musk’s comments about Tesla developing AGI and humanoid robots keep long‑term upside narratives alive but are speculative and unlikely to affect near‑term fundamentals. ‘Tesla Will Probably Be the First to Make AGI in Humanoid Form,’ Says Elon Musk
• Neutral Sentiment: CATL’s announced AI spending push highlights faster innovation across the battery supply chain — a reminder of technology competition that could be either supportive or competitive for Tesla. Chinese Battery Giant CATL Ready to Rattle the World With AI Spending Splurge
• Negative Sentiment: Regulatory risk: Tesla must submit detailed FSD data to the NHTSA by March 9 — a missed or problematic filing could escalate scrutiny and hit sentiment, making autonomy progress a near‑term risk. Tesla’s 2026 May Hinge on a March 9 Outcome
• Negative Sentiment: Regionally weak data: UK registrations reportedly plunged in February, underscoring ongoing demand variability in Europe. Tesla’s UK sales plummet in February but outpace BYD, New Automotive data shows
• Negative Sentiment: Some sell‑side skepticism persists: BNP Paribas recently cut its target to $280 (Underperform), and labor/union pressure at the Berlin Gigafactory adds operational risk. BNP Paribas adjusts price target on Tesla to $280 from $313, maintains underperform rating German union aims for breakthrough at Tesla Berlin plant

Institutional Trading of Tesla

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Relyea Zuckerberg Hanson LLC lifted its stake in shares of Tesla by 0.4% in the 3rd quarter. Relyea Zuckerberg Hanson LLC now owns 6,558 shares of the electric vehicle producer’s stock worth $2,916,000 after purchasing an additional 23 shares during the period. Equita Financial Network Inc. raised its position in Tesla by 2.8% in the third quarter. Equita Financial Network Inc. now owns 855 shares of the electric vehicle producer’s stock worth $380,000 after acquiring an additional 23 shares during the period. VanderPol Investments L.L.C. boosted its stake in shares of Tesla by 2.2% during the 3rd quarter. VanderPol Investments L.L.C. now owns 1,070 shares of the electric vehicle producer’s stock worth $464,000 after acquiring an additional 23 shares during the last quarter. Resonant Capital Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of Tesla by 0.3% during the 3rd quarter. Resonant Capital Advisors LLC now owns 8,577 shares of the electric vehicle producer’s stock valued at $3,814,000 after acquiring an additional 23 shares during the period. Finally, Cloud Capital Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Tesla by 1.1% in the 3rd quarter. Cloud Capital Management LLC now owns 2,076 shares of the electric vehicle producer’s stock worth $923,000 after purchasing an additional 23 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 66.20% of the company’s stock.

Tesla Trading Up 3.4%

The company has a market capitalization of $1.52 trillion, a P/E ratio of 375.87, a PEG ratio of 13.97 and a beta of 1.89. 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 has a fifty day moving average of $428.32 and a 200 day moving average of $422.35.

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

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.