Tesla Inc (NASDAQ: TSLA) shares are down about 9% over the past week as investors weigh a rough mix of bearish analyst commentary, weak delivery trends, growing inventory concerns and fresh technical damage, even as the company picked up a modest regulatory win earlier this week. Analyst Cuts Add To Pressure On Tesla Shares
The pressure started to build after JPMorgan analyst Ryan Brinkman warned investors to approach Tesla with "a high degree of caution" and set a $145 price target, implying steep downside from recent levels.
Other analysts also moved to cut targets following Tesla's disappointing first-quarter delivery report, which showed the company delivered more than 358,000 vehicles but produced over 408,000, leaving more than 50,000 unsold vehicles in inventory. That production-sales gap has added to concerns about softening demand and weaker near-term earnings power.
This week's headlines have not fully changed that narrative. Regulators closed a probe into Tesla's Smart Summon feature after finding very few incidents and no injuries or fatalities, but a separate federal investigation into Full Self-Driving remains active. Meanwhile, Reuters reported Thursday that Tesla may be developing a new lower-cost compact EV, though there is no production timeline yet.
Death Cross Keeps Bearish Momentum In Focus
On top of that, Tesla triggered a death cross this week, a widely watched bearish chart signal, reinforcing the negative momentum as investors look ahead to the company's April 22 earnings report.
Tesla Earnings Due April 22 As Wall Street Looks For Growth
The countdown is on: Tesla is set to report earnings on April 22.
- EPS Estimate: 33 cents (Up from 27 cents YoY)
- Revenue Estimate: $22.65 Billion (Up from $19.34 Billion YoY)
- Valuation: P/E of 317.8x (Indicates premium valuation relative to peers)
Analyst Consensus & Recent Actions: The stock carries a Buy rating with an average price target of $417.82. Recent analyst moves include:
- Canaccord Genuity: Buy (Maintains Target to $420.00) (April 6)
- Baird: Outperform (Lowers Target to $538.00) (April 6)
- Canaccord Genuity: Buy (Lowers Target to $420.00) (March 31)
TSLA Price Action: Tesla shares were down 0.90% at $340.18 Thursday morning, according to Benzinga Pro data.