Tesla, Inc. $TSLA Stock: Nikulski Financial Inc. Boosts Stake

Key Points

• Nikulski Financial increased its Tesla stake by 30.8% in the third quarter, adding 2,942 shares to reach 12,490 shares valued at about $4.43 million. Institutional investors collectively own 66.2% of Tesla.
• Analyst views remain mixed, but the consensus rating is “Moderate Buy”, with an average price target of $414.51; ratings include 26 Buys, 17 Holds and four Sells.
• Tesla narrowly beat quarterly EPS expectations ($0.48 versus $0.46), while revenue of $28.05 billion was roughly in line with estimates and declined 0.2% year over year. CFO Vaibhav Taneja sold 2,606 shares to cover tax withholding on vested equity awards.

Nikulski Financial Inc. lifted its holdings in Tesla, Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA - Free Report) by 30.8% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 12,490 shares of the electric vehicle producer's stock after purchasing an additional 2,942 shares during the quarter. Nikulski Financial Inc.'s holdings in Tesla were worth $4,432,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Bamco Inc. NY grew its position in Tesla by 5.0% in the second quarter. Bamco Inc. NY now owns 12,524,752 shares of the electric vehicle producer's stock worth $5,267,911,000 after acquiring an additional 591,243 shares in the last quarter. One Plus One Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in Tesla during the second quarter worth approximately $1,009,000. Bessemer Group Inc. raised its position in Tesla by 23.6% during the first quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 56,240 shares of the electric vehicle producer's stock valued at $20,908,000 after purchasing an additional 10,747 shares during the period. H&H International Investment LLC purchased a new stake in Tesla during the first quarter valued at approximately $1,267,259,000. Finally, MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB raised its position in Tesla by 12.4% during the third quarter. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB now owns 43,600 shares of the electric vehicle producer's stock valued at $15,470,000 after purchasing an additional 4,806 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 66.20% of the company's stock.

Insider Buying and Selling at Tesla

In related news, CFO Vaibhav Taneja sold 2,606 shares of the firm's 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 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 position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing 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. Insiders own 20.00% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts have recently commented on TSLA shares. Piper Sandler reiterated an "overweight" rating and issued a $475.00 target price (up from $450.00) on shares of Tesla in a report on Thursday, October 22nd. Monness Crespi & Hardt assumed coverage on Tesla in a research report on Monday, October 26th. They set a "buy" rating on the stock. Jefferies Financial Group lowered Tesla from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Monday. KeyCorp upgraded Tesla to a "sector weight" rating in a research report on Monday, September 28th. Finally, CLSA reaffirmed an "underperform" rating on shares of Tesla in a research note on Monday, October 26th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-six have assigned a Buy rating, seventeen have given a Hold rating and four have assigned a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Tesla presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $414.51.

Key Tesla News

Here's some of the latest news about TSLA:

• Positive Sentiment: Reports say Tesla and SpaceX have formed committees to assess an all-stock merger and that talks are advancing, with an announcement possible by December. The prospect of combining Tesla’s automotive and autonomy businesses with SpaceX has fueled optimism, though no agreement is confirmed and a deal could bring valuation and dilution risks. Article: SpaceX and Tesla Talks on Record Merger Are Said to Progress
• Positive Sentiment: Progress in autonomy offers another potential growth narrative: Finland approved Tesla’s assisted-driving system, adding to the countries permitting it ahead of a broader EU decision. Tesla also says its Robotaxi service now runs around the clock in active cities, and reports say its registered Texas fleet has surpassed Waymo’s. Commercial scale and profitability have yet to be demonstrated. Article: Finland approves Tesla's Assisted Driving system Article: Tesla Robotaxi 24/7 operations
• Negative Sentiment: Bearish commentary points to Tesla’s rich valuation and limited near-term profit growth. A separate report says Musk’s proposed chip-building ambitions could require enormous investment—potentially beyond Tesla’s cash-flow capacity—raising questions about funding and returns. Article: Tesla valuation downgrade Article: Musk's chip plan and Tesla cash flow

Tesla Stock Performance

Tesla stock opened at $397.45 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.09, a current ratio of 1.74 and a quick ratio of 1.39. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.57 trillion, a P/E ratio of 436.76, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 24.21 and a beta of 1.74. Tesla, Inc. has a 1-year low of $297.38 and a 1-year high of $498.83. The company's 50-day moving average is $374.47 and its 200 day moving average is $383.25.

Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, October 21st. The electric vehicle producer reported $0.48 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.46 by $0.02. The business had revenue of $28.05 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $28.06 billion. Tesla had a return on equity of 3.03% and a net margin of 3.11%. The company's revenue for the quarter was down .2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $0.50 earnings per share. Research analysts forecast that Tesla, Inc. will post 0.67 EPS for the current year.

About Tesla

Tesla, Inc. designs, develops, manufactures and sells electric vehicles and energy products. Its vehicle lineup includes the Model S, Model 3, Model X, Model Y and Cybertruck, along with related software and services. The company also provides energy generation and storage products, including solar systems, Powerwall home batteries and Megapack utility-scale storage. Its services include vehicle maintenance, charging through the Supercharger network and software features for its vehicles. Founded in 2003 and headquartered in Austin, Texas, Tesla serves customers in markets around the world.

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