Tesla became the 6-th company with a market capitalization of more than $1 trillion after the car rental giant Hertz made a record order of 100 000 Teslas for its fleet at the end of 2021. Elon Musk’s company stock price soared by 12% in just one day, becoming the second fastest company to hit the $1 trillion mark after Facebook.
But soon after, Tesla left the trillion-dollar club. Tesla's share price performance may have come as an unpleasant shock for investors betting on an electric vehicle future controlled by the firm after turbo-charged rapid gains for the stock. They may be wondering if Tesla can recover and become a trillion-dollar corporation once more.
Why Is Tesla's Stock Dropping?
The company's journey to a trillion-dollar value has been quite quick; after Meta Platforms, Inc., it has become the second-fastest company to do so. The drop, on the other hand, has been similarly dramatic.
Tesla's stock price had been under pressure for some time. Many analysts believe the stock's price is overvalued. The company's shares have a trailing price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 307.86, notwithstanding the recent price drop. Even though they sell more automobiles, competitors such as General Motors Company (GM) and Ford Motor Company (F) have P/E ratios of 7.64 and 27.44, respectively.
The exercise of stock options by Tesla's CEO and co-founder Elon Musk is another factor contributing to the company's recent decline. According to analysts, the bulk selling has added to the stock's downward pressure. On Monday, Dec. 13, Musk sold 934,091 shares for $906.5 million, making it one of his most recent sales. After selling $9.85 billion worth of shares in November, he has sold $2.87 billion worth of stock so far in December.
Tesla's decline is also due to macroeconomic issues. Concerns about an anticipated Fed interest rate announcement sent the markets into a tailspin yesterday. A move by the agency to boost interest rates might have a negative impact on stocks with inflated valuations since it could drive capital to migrate away from risky markets and into instruments and shares with higher returns.
Will Tesla Make a Comeback?
During the pandemic, the stock's fundamentals may have shifted in equity markets, but the company's business grew stronger. In Austin and Berlin, it opened additional production plants. The Shanghai plant, which opened in January 2020, outperformed Fremont, California, in terms of manufacturing capacity and served as a hub for automobile export to Europe. In addition, the business made strides in its self-driving research and produced novel battery chemistry.
Analysts believe that the company's long-term story will be preserved if economic fundamentals continue to improve, especially in light of a global regulatory drive toward green cars. Tesla's stock has a price objective of $1,400 according to Wedbush Securities analyst Dan Ives. A "green tidal wave," according to Ives, will result in a $5 trillion market opportunity over the next decade, with Tesla leading the way.
Ives joins Jefferies Group analyst Philippe Houchois, who boosted his Tesla price target to $1,400 from $950 owing to "unprecedented returns at a brand rice point heading towards volume sectors" in Q3. Tesla is more "scaled up" than most original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), according to Houchois, and "in position to turn the Legacy zero-sum game into a negative one." Meanwhile, Adam Jonas of Morgan Stanley, a notable Tesla bull, has a $1,200 price objective for Tesla stock.
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