Vaibhav Taneja Sells 2,606 Shares of Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) Stock

Tesla, Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA) CFO Vaibhav Taneja sold 2,606 shares of Tesla stock in a transaction on Tuesday, September 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $360.13, for a total transaction of $938,498.78. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 25,972 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $9,353,296.36. This trade represents a 9.12% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards.

Tesla Stock Down 0.1%

Shares of TSLA stock traded down $0.35 on Wednesday, reaching $367.81. 32,459,341 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 38,093,316. The company has a market cap of $1.45 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 340.57, a PEG ratio of 18.59 and a beta of 1.84. The company has a 50-day moving average of $354.87 and a 200-day moving average of $381.84. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.09, a current ratio of 1.94 and a quick ratio of 1.55. Tesla, Inc. has a one year low of $297.38 and a one year high of $498.83.

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

Tesla News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Tesla this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Tesla’s Cybercab rollout remains the primary bullish catalyst. The company has added 45 vehicles to its Austin fleet, while CEO Elon Musk says the redesigned manufacturing process could produce Cybercabs more than five times faster. Lower operating costs could help Tesla compete with Waymo and Uber if the technology scales. 45 Tesla Cybercabs Are Now Roaming Austin
• Positive Sentiment: Slovenia approved Tesla’s supervised Full Self-Driving system, making it the sixth European country to do so. Investors view the approval as a possible step toward an EU-wide authorization and additional software subscription revenue. A potential European launch of Cybercab is also supporting the long-term growth narrative. Slovenia clears Tesla’s FSD driver assistance
• Positive Sentiment: Goldman Sachs estimates Tesla’s Cybercab could operate at a cost advantage of as much as $0.30 per mile versus rival autonomous vehicles if Tesla reaches its targeted production costs, strengthening the potential economics of a large robotaxi network. Tesla Cybercab Could Beat Waymo on Cost
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts continue to debate whether Tesla can become a successful robotaxi platform or whether Waymo’s operational experience and sensor-heavy approach give it an advantage. The Cybercab’s early fares have varied widely versus Uber, highlighting that the commercial model is not yet proven. Tesla versus Alphabet’s Waymo
• Negative Sentiment: Tesla’s China sales continue to weaken. August domestic sales declined, and the company is offering cash incentives through September 30, suggesting persistent competitive and demand pressure in the world’s largest EV market. Strong exports provide some offset but do not resolve the underlying weakness. Tesla Sales in China Continue Negative Streak
• Negative Sentiment: Regulatory scrutiny remains a major risk. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is examining certification and technical data related to nearly 1,000 driverless Cybercabs, raising questions about Tesla’s ability to expand the service quickly and safely. Tesla’s Robotaxi Launch Wasn’t the Moment Investors Expected
• Negative Sentiment: Some investors remain bearish because Tesla’s valuation is demanding relative to its modest profitability and slowing core auto business. With a very high earnings multiple, the stock is particularly dependent on successful execution of FSD, robotaxis and other future businesses.

Institutional Trading of Tesla

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of TSLA. Turning Point Benefit Group Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Tesla during the 3rd quarter worth $30,000. Texas Capital Bancshares Inc TX bought a new stake in Tesla in the third quarter worth about $31,000. Friedenthal Financial grew its position in shares of Tesla by 66.7% during the 1st quarter. Friedenthal Financial now owns 75 shares of the electric vehicle producer’s stock valued at $28,000 after acquiring an additional 30 shares during the period. Chapman Financial Group LLC bought a new stake in shares of Tesla in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $26,000. Finally, Harborfront Financial Group LLC purchased a new position in Tesla in the second quarter valued at approximately $34,000. 66.20% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts have commented on the stock. DZ Bank upgraded shares of Tesla from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, July 23rd. Citigroup reissued a “market perform” rating on shares of Tesla in a research report on Monday, August 24th. Mizuho set a $450.00 price target on Tesla and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, July 23rd. Stifel Nicolaus set a $491.00 price objective on Tesla and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, August 3rd. Finally, Morgan Stanley reissued a “mixed” rating on shares of Tesla in a research note on Wednesday, September 2nd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-two have given a Buy rating, eighteen have issued a Hold rating and four have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Tesla currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $401.74.

Tesla Company Profile

Tesla, Inc is an American technology and automotive company that designs, develops, manufactures and sells electric vehicles and related energy products. Its vehicle lineup has included the Model S, Model 3, Model X, Model Y and Cybertruck, along with commercial and specialty products such as the Tesla Semi.

The company also develops energy-generation and storage products, including solar panels, solar roofing systems and battery storage solutions for residential, commercial and utility customers.