Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) Stock Rating Lowered by Zacks Research

Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) was downgraded by investment analysts at Zacks Research from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research note issued on Monday,Zacks.com reports. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Tesla’s Q2 2026 earnings at $0.27 EPS and FY2028 earnings at $0.52 EPS.

A number of other brokerages also recently weighed in on TSLA. BNP Paribas Exane decreased their price objective on shares of Tesla from $313.00 to $280.00 and set an “underperform” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, March 2nd. The Goldman Sachs Group restated a “neutral” rating and issued a $405.00 price target on shares of Tesla in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. Cantor Fitzgerald reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and issued a $510.00 price target on shares of Tesla in a report on Thursday, January 29th. New Street Research raised their price objective on Tesla from $520.00 to $600.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 6th. Finally, Canaccord Genuity Group cut their price objective on Tesla from $520.00 to $420.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday. Nineteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have assigned a Hold rating and ten have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $403.98.

Tesla Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ TSLA opened at $371.75 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.08, a current ratio of 2.16 and a quick ratio of 1.77. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.39 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 344.21, a PEG ratio of 10.52 and a beta of 1.89. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $405.61 and its 200-day simple moving average is $428.65. Tesla has a 12 month low of $214.25 and a 12 month high of $498.83.

Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, January 28th. The electric vehicle producer reported $0.50 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.45 by $0.05. The firm had revenue of $24.90 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $24.75 billion. Tesla had a net margin of 4.00% and a return on equity of 4.86%. The business’s revenue was down 3.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $0.73 EPS. Analysts expect that Tesla will post 2.56 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, CFO Vaibhav Taneja sold 2,264 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, March 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $397.03, for a total value of $898,875.92. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 18,106 shares in the company, valued at $7,188,625.18. This trade represents a 11.11% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, Director Kathleen Wilson-Thompson sold 25,731 shares of Tesla stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $415.56, for a total value of $10,692,774.36. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 19,669 shares in the company, valued at $8,173,649.64. This represents a 56.68% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last three months, insiders have sold 87,995 shares of company stock worth $38,315,650. Insiders own 19.90% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Networth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Tesla during the fourth quarter worth about $26,000. Chapman Financial Group LLC acquired a new stake in Tesla in the 2nd quarter valued at about $26,000. Davidson Capital Management Inc. lifted its stake in Tesla by 79.4% in the 4th quarter. Davidson Capital Management Inc. now owns 61 shares of the electric vehicle producer’s stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 27 shares in the last quarter. Manning & Napier Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Tesla during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $29,000. Finally, CoreFirst Bank & Trust acquired a new position in shares of Tesla during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $30,000. 66.20% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Stories Impacting Tesla

Here are the key news stories impacting Tesla this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Market rally driven by three converging catalysts — delivery optimism, Terafab/chip-factory talk and SpaceX merger/buzz — that traders say gives the move legs. This is cited as the main reason TSLA popped intraday. Tesla Surges 5%: Delivery Hopes, Terafab, and SpaceX Buzz Are All Converging at Once
• Positive Sentiment: Reports of a deeper Tesla–SpaceX chip/semiconductor partnership (new fab plans in Texas and talk of coordinated chip strategy) are being read as a strategic lever for Tesla’s AI/robotics roadmap and supply security. Tesla Appears to Have a New Master Plan… and SpaceX Is a Huge Part of It
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts (Canaccord) nudged up Q1 deliveries estimates and a positive research note earlier in the day helped sentiment despite mixed modeling — supporting near‑term optimism ahead of the delivery print. Canaccord Lifts Q1 Deliveries Estimate, But Cuts Tesla Stock (TSLA) Price Target, Here’s Why
• Positive Sentiment: Renewed optimism on Tesla’s AI/robotics (Optimus) and product updates lifted risk‑on positioning among growth investors. Tesla jumps 4% on Optimus buzz and market rebound momentum
• Neutral Sentiment: Q1 delivery results (due Thursday) are the immediate catalyst — expectations are ~365k units. That print can swing the stock materially both ways. Tesla (TSLA) Stock: Analysts Brace for Q1 2026 Delivery Numbers This Thursday
• Neutral Sentiment: Euro NCAP and other safety/oversight headlines continue to stir debate around Full Self‑Driving credibility — newsflow here creates volatility but is ambiguous in directional impact. Euro NCAP: Full Self-Driving “Irresponsible,” Tesla Stock (NASDAQ:TSLA) Surges
• Negative Sentiment: Several analysts have cut price targets and some firms reiterated “sell” or trimmed exposure (GLJ, Canaccord cut PT from $520 to $420) — a reminder Wall Street is increasingly skeptical on margins and valuation. Canaccord price target cut coverage
• Negative Sentiment: Regulatory and operational risks persist: NHTSA scrutiny of autonomy, talent departures (head of customer experience to Coinbase), and ongoing concerns about automotive margins and pricing pressure. These are downside risks if deliveries or margins disappoint. Will NHTSA Investigation Derail Tesla’s Physical AI Dreams?

Tesla Company 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.