Tesla, Inc. $TSLA Shares Purchased by Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc.

Key Points

• Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada boosted its Tesla stake by 35.7% in Q4, buying 23,593 shares to hold 89,761 shares worth about $38.86 million, making TSLA ~0.8% of its portfolio and its 25th largest position.
• Positive momentum from the reported AI5 chip tape‑out, analyst upgrades and buy positioning ahead of Q1 earnings has helped lift TSLA into a near‑term rally.
• Countervailing risks include reports of potential legal liabilities of over $14 billion and related‑party Cybertruck purchases raising governance questions, alongside recent insider selling of roughly 53,804 shares (~$20.9M).

Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. boosted its holdings in Tesla, Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA - Free Report) by 35.7% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 89,761 shares of the electric vehicle producer's stock after purchasing an additional 23,593 shares during the quarter. Tesla comprises approximately 0.8% of Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc.'s portfolio, making the stock its 25th biggest position. Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc.'s holdings in Tesla were worth $38,863,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Networth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Tesla in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Turning Point Benefit Group Inc. acquired a new position in Tesla in the third quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Manning & Napier Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Tesla in the third quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Prism Advisors Inc. acquired a new position in Tesla in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Finally, Texas Capital Bancshares Inc TX acquired a new position in Tesla in the third quarter valued at approximately $31,000. 66.20% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Tesla News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Tesla this week:

• Positive Sentiment: AI chip progress and analyst lift are boosting sentiment — Elon Musk and company updates about the AI5 chip tape‑out/physical chip drew strong investor attention and were cited as a primary reason for recent gains. Blockonomi reports the AI5 tape‑out and a UBS upgrade helped the rally. Tesla Stock Surges on AI5 Chip News and UBS Rating Boost
• Positive Sentiment: Short‑term technical and market drivers — several outlets point to a trading “buy” signal and broader tech rally (S&P/ Nasdaq strength, easing Middle East tensions) that have lifted TSLA into a rebound ahead of earnings. S&P 500 Posts Weekly Gain
• Positive Sentiment: Buy positioning into Q1 earnings — Wall Street positioning and upbeat profit‑surge estimates ahead of Tesla’s April 22 report are driving flows into the stock as investors bet on margin improvement and AI commentary. Tesla Rallies 5% as Q1 Earnings Loom
• Neutral Sentiment: Terafab recruiting and longer‑term chip ambitions — Tesla is hiring chip engineers in Taiwan for its Terafab project, underlining its long‑term AI/semiconductor push but implying heavy CAPEX and execution risk over years, not an immediate earnings driver. Tesla seeks Taiwan chip engineers for Terafab project
• Neutral Sentiment: Product/branding teasers (Cybercab/“golden era”) and Optimus hints keep excitement high but are speculative — social teasers can lift sentiment but may not translate into near‑term revenue. Tesla Signals 'Golden Era' In Mysterious Video
• Neutral Sentiment: High‑profile buys by prominent investors (e.g., Cathie Wood) add credibility but don’t remove underlying execution questions — they can support flows but aren’t a fundamental fix. Cathie Wood Just Bought 81,000 Shares of Tesla Stock
• Negative Sentiment: Legal exposure headline: potential multi‑billion dollar liabilities — reporting on >$14B in possible costs from active lawsuits is a material risk that could pressure sentiment and valuation if confirmed or escalates. “$14.5 Billion in Lawsuits”
• Negative Sentiment: Related‑party Cybertruck purchases and disclosure concerns — reporting that SpaceX bought a meaningful share of Cybertruck registrations raises governance and organic demand questions; investors worry about transparency and true end‑market strength. SpaceX Was Buying Cybertrucks in Bulk

Tesla Price Performance

Tesla stock opened at $400.62 on Friday. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $389.71 and a 200-day simple moving average of $422.89. Tesla, Inc. has a 12 month low of $222.79 and a 12 month high of $498.83. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.50 trillion, a PE ratio of 370.94, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 12.15 and a beta of 1.91. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.08, a current ratio of 2.16 and a quick ratio of 1.77.

Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 28th. The electric vehicle producer reported $0.50 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.45 by $0.05. Tesla had a return on equity of 4.86% and a net margin of 4.00%.The firm had revenue of $24.90 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $24.75 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $0.73 earnings per share. Tesla's quarterly revenue was down 3.1% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts predict that Tesla, Inc. will post 2.56 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Tesla

In related news, Director Kathleen Wilson-Thompson sold 25,809 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, March 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $359.33, for a total transaction of $9,273,947.97. Following the sale, the director owned 33,860 shares of the company's stock, valued at $12,166,913.80. This trade represents a 43.25% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, CFO Vaibhav Taneja sold 2,264 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, March 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $397.03, for a total value of $898,875.92. Following the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 18,106 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,188,625.18. The trade was a 11.11% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold 53,804 shares of company stock worth $20,865,598 in the last three months. 19.90% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts recently issued reports on TSLA shares. Stifel Nicolaus set a $508.00 price target on Tesla in a report on Thursday, January 29th. The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a "neutral" rating on shares of Tesla in a research note on Friday, April 3rd. Morgan Stanley set a $415.00 price objective on Tesla and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. Cantor Fitzgerald reiterated an "overweight" rating and issued a $510.00 price objective on shares of Tesla in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. Finally, Robert W. Baird reduced their price objective on Tesla from $548.00 to $538.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, April 2nd. Nineteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, fifteen have assigned a Hold rating and nine have issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Tesla presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $398.61.

Tesla 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.

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