Wall Street analysts are growing increasingly bearish on Tesla as a new world order for automobiles materializes due to escalating trade tensions. Analysts from three Wall Street banks -- Goldman Sachs, UBS and Mizuho -- cut their price targets for Tesla:
- UBS: to $190 from $225, implying roughly 30% downside
- Goldman Sachs: $260 from $275, pointing to a 4% slide from Wednesday's close
- Mizuho: $375 from $430, still signaling upside of around 38%
"While lower estimates for 2025 are now more broadly expected, we believe the whole trajectory of earnings for TSLA remains too high and could face negative revisions post 1Q25 results," UBS analyst Joseph Spak, who has a sell rating on the stock, wrote. "Further, we'd highlight some risk to Tesla Energy from the China tariffs."
Shares of the electric vehicle maker have dropped 33% this year alone, wiping out most of their post-election gain. Investors have grown increasingly worried as waning economic conditions and rising trade tensions have threatened to squeeze the stock, while CEO Elon Musk's role in the new Trump administration has also drawn backlash.
"For Tesla, we believe that weaker auto demand/consumer sentiment, tariff costs (including in Energy), and US EV policy risk are offset by longer-term potential from its AI related efforts," wrote Goldman analyst Mark Delaney, reiterating his neutral rating on the stock.
Mizuho's Vijay Rakesh is the most constructive of the three analysts, reiterating his outperform rating despite his price target cut. "We see TSLA remaining the leader in the US EV market, though we note potential share headwinds in the EU/China as competitors ramp production," the analyst wrote.
Tesla shares were down more than 3% in the premarket following the target reductions.