Tesla, Inc. Director Makes Significant Stock Sale

Tesla, Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA) Director Kathleen Wilson-Thompson sold 100,000 shares of the company's stock on Wednesday, December 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $352.54, resulting in a total transaction value of $35,254,000. Following this sale, Wilson-Thompson now holds 5,400 shares of Tesla, valued at around $1,903,716. This recent transaction marks a substantial 94.88% reduction in her ownership of Tesla stock. The details of this sale have been officially reported in a filing with the SEC.

Recent Stock Sales

In addition to the recent sale, Kathleen Wilson-Thompson had made another notable transaction on November 11th, selling 100,000 shares at an average price of $346.02, amounting to a total of $34,602,000. This pattern raises questions about the director's confidence in the company's future performance.

Tesla's Stock Performance

As of Friday's midday trading session, shares of Tesla were up by $19.73, reaching $389.22. During this trading day, approximately 80,405,602 shares exchanged hands, which is lower than the average volume of 94,699,867. Tesla's market capitalization stands at $1.25 trillion, with a price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 106.64, and a price/earnings to growth (PEG) ratio of 11.41. Over the past year, Tesla's stock has seen a low of $138.80 and a high of $389.49, indicating its volatile nature. Financial ratios such as the debt-to-equity ratio at 0.08, quick ratio at 1.37, and current ratio at 1.84 suggest a healthy balance sheet. Additionally, the company’s 50-day and 200-day moving averages are $282.96 and $236.89 respectively.

Recent Earnings Report

Tesla last reported earnings on October 23rd, showing an earnings per share (EPS) of $0.72, surpassing analysts' predictions of $0.58. The model reported a quarterly revenue of $25.18 billion, slightly below the expected $25.47 billion. On a year-over-year basis, Tesla has experienced a revenue increase of 7.8%, with the net margin recorded at 13.07%. Analysts expect Tesla to report an EPS of 1.99 for the current fiscal year, indicating continued growth despite recent stock sales.

Institutional Investor Activity

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently adjusted their positions in Tesla. For example, Canandaigua National Bank & Trust Co. increased its stake by 7.4% during the second quarter, acquiring an additional 90 shares, bringing its total to 1,314 shares. U.S. Capital Wealth Advisors raised their stake by 8.7%, and OLD National Bancorp IN increased its holdings by 6.4%. Overall, hedge funds and institutional investors hold approximately 66.20% of Tesla’s stock, reflecting substantial interest in this electric vehicle market leader.

Analysts' Price Targets

Numerous equity research analysts have recently reassessed their ratings and price targets for Tesla. KGI Securities rated Tesla as “outperform” with a target price of $276.00 while Guggenheim set a price goal of $175.00 with a “sell” rating. Other analysts at Robert W. Baird and Morgan Stanley provided target prices of $280.00 and $310.00 respectively. Currently, analysts' consensus rating is “Hold” along with a price target averaging $245.84, indicating mixed sentiments towards the stock's performance moving forward.

Tesla's Business Focus

Tesla designs, develops, manufactures, leases, and sells electric vehicles and renewable energy solutions across various global markets, including the United States and China. The company operates through two primary segments: Automotive and Energy Generation and Storage. Its automotive segment includes not only vehicle sales but also services like automotive regulatory credits, used vehicles, and vehicle insurance.

Tesla, Stock, Sale