Tesla, Inc. $TSLA Stock: Family Office Research LLC Cuts Position

Key Points

• Family Office Research LLC reduced its Tesla position by 44.6% in the third quarter, selling 1,595 shares and retaining 1,979 shares valued at approximately $702,000. Hedge funds and institutional investors collectively own 66.2% of Tesla.
• Analyst sentiment remains mixed, with Tesla holding a consensus “Hold” rating and an average price target of $412.33. Recent targets range from $370 to $415, alongside both upgraded and reduced estimates.
• Tesla faces significant near-term scrutiny from an expected third-quarter earnings decline, pressure from China’s EV price war and competition, and rising costs tied to its AI-chip ambitions, despite potential catalysts from its Roadster, robotaxi and Megacharger initiatives.

Family Office Research LLC decreased its position in shares of Tesla, Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA - Free Report) by 44.6% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 1,979 shares of the electric vehicle producer's stock after selling 1,595 shares during the period. Family Office Research LLC's holdings in Tesla were worth $702,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Security National Bank of Sioux City Iowa IA acquired a new stake in Tesla in the 2nd quarter valued at about $25,000. Friedenthal Financial increased its stake in shares of Tesla by 66.7% during the first quarter. Friedenthal Financial now owns 75 shares of the electric vehicle producer's stock worth $28,000 after buying an additional 30 shares during the period. Harborfront Financial Group LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Tesla during the second quarter worth approximately $34,000. Lam Group Inc. acquired a new stake in Tesla in the first quarter valued at approximately $37,000. Finally, Montgomery Financial Services LLC acquired a new stake in Tesla in the second quarter valued at approximately $40,000. 66.20% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key Stories Impacting Tesla

Here are the key news stories impacting Tesla this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Tesla’s long-delayed Roadster event is scheduled for October 15, with attention focused on potential SpaceX-powered features. The reveal could provide a near-term catalyst if Tesla demonstrates credible technology and production plans. Tesla Roadster event article
• Positive Sentiment: Tesla’s Cybercab fleet in Austin has expanded rapidly, strengthening the company’s robotaxi narrative. The launch is important because investors increasingly value Tesla as an autonomy and artificial-intelligence company rather than solely as an automaker. Tesla robotaxi fleet article
• Positive Sentiment: Tesla and Pilot opened their first heavy-duty Megacharger site, with 12 additional locations underway. The network could support Tesla Semi adoption and create a longer-term energy and infrastructure opportunity. Pilot Tesla Megacharger article
• Neutral Sentiment: Reports that Tesla and SpaceX could merge before December 6 are speculative and lack confirmation from either company, but the possibility may add volatility because of Elon Musk’s overlapping leadership and shareholder interests. Tesla SpaceX merger article
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts expect third-quarter earnings to decline, with automotive margins and year-over-year deliveries under scrutiny ahead of the October 21 report. A prior earnings miss and Tesla’s modest net margin increase the risk of disappointment. Tesla Q3 earnings preview
• Negative Sentiment: China remains a major pressure point: an intense price war and stronger competition have hurt domestic demand, while increased exports have reversed Tesla’s China wholesale trend. Tesla China strategy article
• Negative Sentiment: Plans for the Terafab AI-chip facility could deepen Tesla’s capital-spending burden, already expected to exceed $25 billion this year. Investors are questioning whether Tesla has the semiconductor expertise and funding capacity to execute, particularly at its stretched valuation. Tesla Terafab article

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages recently issued reports on TSLA. Jefferies Financial Group reiterated a "hold" rating and issued a $400.00 price target (up from $350.00) on shares of Tesla in a research note on Monday. UBS Group reissued a "buy" rating and issued a $391.00 price objective (up from $385.00) on shares of Tesla in a research report on Wednesday, October 7th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price objective on shares of Tesla from $445.00 to $415.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a report on Monday, September 28th. Truist Financial set a $370.00 price objective on shares of Tesla and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a research report on Thursday, July 23rd. Finally, TD Cowen reiterated a "buy" rating on shares of Tesla in a research note on Friday, August 14th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-three have issued a Buy rating, seventeen have issued a Hold rating and five have assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Tesla has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $412.33.

Tesla Stock Down 2.2%

TSLA stock opened at $367.16 on Thursday. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.45 trillion, a PE ratio of 416.92, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 24.37 and a beta of 1.92. The company has a fifty day moving average of $358.60 and a 200-day moving average of $377.05. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.09, a quick ratio of 1.55 and a current ratio of 1.94. Tesla, Inc. has a one year low of $297.38 and a one year high of $498.83.

Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 23rd. The electric vehicle producer reported $0.33 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.50 by ($0.17). The firm had revenue of $28.24 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $26.42 billion. Tesla had a return on equity of 3.82% and a net margin of 3.67%. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 25.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $0.33 earnings per share. As a group, analysts expect that Tesla, Inc. will post 0.69 EPS for the current year.

Insider Transactions at Tesla

In other news, CFO Vaibhav Taneja sold 2,606 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred 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 completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 25,972 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $9,353,296.36. This represents a 9.12% decrease in their position. The sale 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. Insiders own 19.90% of the company's stock.

About Tesla

Tesla, Inc NASDAQ: TSLA designs, manufactures and sells electric vehicles, energy storage systems and solar energy products. Its vehicle lineup includes the Model S, Model 3, Model X, Model Y, Cybertruck and Tesla Semi. The company also develops vehicle software and driver-assistance features, operates a global Supercharger network and provides related vehicle services.

Tesla's energy business offers battery storage products for residential, commercial and utility customers, including Powerwall and Megapack, as well as solar panels and solar roofing products.

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