Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) Price Target Cut to $268.00 by Analysts at BNP Paribas Exane

Key Points

• BNP Paribas Exane cut Tesla’s price target to $268 from $280 and maintained an “underperform” rating, implying approximately 29.5% downside from the stock’s reported price.
• Analyst sentiment remains mixed: Tesla has an average “hold” rating and a consensus price target of $411.89, despite several firms assigning bullish ratings and higher targets.
• Tesla’s latest quarter showed 25.5% year-over-year revenue growth to $28.24 billion, but earnings per share of $0.33 fell short of the $0.50 consensus estimate; the stock also trades at a very high reported P/E ratio of 351.97.

Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA - Get Free Report) had its price target decreased by BNP Paribas Exane from $280.00 to $268.00 in a report issued on Thursday. The brokerage currently has an "underperform" rating on the electric vehicle producer's stock. BNP Paribas Exane's target price suggests a potential downside of 29.50% from the stock's current price.

Several other research firms have also weighed in on TSLA. William Blair reiterated a "market perform" rating on shares of Tesla in a report on Thursday, July 2nd. Mizuho set a $450.00 price target on Tesla and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Thursday, July 23rd. Evercore raised Tesla from a "hold" rating to an "outperform" rating in a research note on Friday, June 5th. Truist Financial set a $370.00 price objective on Tesla and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a research note on Thursday, July 23rd. Finally, Guggenheim began coverage on shares of Tesla in a report on Monday, June 29th. They issued a "neutral" rating on the stock. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-one have given a Buy rating, nineteen have issued a Hold rating and five have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $411.89.

Tesla Price Performance

Tesla stock opened at $380.12 on Thursday. The stock has a market cap of $1.50 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 351.97, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 19.13 and a beta of 1.84. Tesla has a 1 year low of $297.38 and a 1 year high of $498.83. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $348.16 and a two-hundred day moving average of $379.10. 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 (NASDAQ:TSLA - Get Free Report) last posted 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). Tesla had a net margin of 3.67% and a return on equity of 3.82%. The business had revenue of $28.24 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $26.42 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.33 EPS. Tesla's revenue for the quarter was up 25.5% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, research analysts forecast that Tesla will post 0.88 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Tesla

In related news, CFO Vaibhav Taneja sold 2,606 shares of Tesla stock in a transaction on Tuesday, September 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $360.13, for a total transaction of $938,498.78. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 25,972 shares in the company, valued at approximately $9,353,296.36. The trade was a 9.12% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. 19.90% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. State Street Corp lifted its position in Tesla by 2.4% in the second quarter. State Street Corp now owns 117,456,756 shares of the electric vehicle producer's stock valued at $49,402,312,000 after buying an additional 2,761,298 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its stake in Tesla by 0.6% in the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 65,700,975 shares of the electric vehicle producer's stock worth $29,426,070,000 after acquiring an additional 375,946 shares during the period. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in shares of Tesla in the fourth quarter worth $17,128,100,000. Corient Private Wealth LLC raised its holdings in Tesla by 3,205.5% in the fourth quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC now owns 21,459,599 shares of the electric vehicle producer's stock valued at $9,650,811,000 after acquiring an additional 20,810,386 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Legal & General Group Plc acquired a new position in shares of Tesla during the second quarter valued at $8,535,612,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 66.20% of the company's stock.

Tesla News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Tesla this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Tesla was selected as the primary supplier for a record 2,500-truck electric Class 8 fleet order spanning 10 U.S. freight hubs. The order strengthens the commercial opportunity for the Tesla Semi and provides a significant demand signal beyond passenger vehicles. Tesla wins lead role in 2,500-truck electric Class 8 order
• Positive Sentiment: Tesla’s new “Accordion” Supercharger station is being presented as a faster, more flexible way to expand charging capacity. Better network economics could reinforce Tesla’s charging advantage and support future vehicle and energy sales. Tesla Makes Brilliant Supercharger Move but BYD Is Closer in the Mirror Than It Appears
• Positive Sentiment: The Cybercab is using nickel cathode material produced at Gigafactory Texas, highlighting domestic supply-chain integration and potentially reducing exposure to tariffs and overseas sourcing. Tesla Cybercab Goes Made in Texas
• Positive Sentiment: Fitch awarded Tesla its first BBB investment-grade rating, which may broaden financing access as the company pursues roughly $25 billion in expansion and AI-related spending. Grok’s expanded in-car capabilities and a planned Roadster reveal also provide additional product catalysts. Tesla Rises as BBB Rating Meets a $25 Billion Buildout
• Neutral Sentiment: Tesla’s Bitcoin holdings have approached $1 billion in value as cryptocurrency prices rebounded, offering a paper-asset tailwind but also adding volatility unrelated to the company’s core operations. Tesla's Bitcoin Stash Nears $1B
• Negative Sentiment: A Belgian road-safety group reported that supervised FSD frequently exceeded speed limits and attempted prohibited cyclist passes. The findings could increase regulatory, liability and reputational risks for Tesla’s autonomy strategy. Tesla's supervised self-driving system often misreads speed limits
• Negative Sentiment: Tesla still has no automaker customers licensing FSD, limiting near-term monetization of the technology. Analysts also continue to flag weaker deliveries, Cybertruck sales well below Elon Musk’s original target, and growing competition from BYD and new low-cost EV makers. Tesla Has Offered FSD to Rivals for Years and Still Has Zero Takers

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.

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