Why Tesla Stock Fell Sharply Wednesday

Ouch! Shares of the electric-car maker just got slammed. Here's why.

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This article was originally published on Fool.com. All figures quoted in US dollars unless otherwise stated.

What happened

Shares of electric-car maker Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA) fell on Wednesday. As of 12:30 p.m. EST, the stock was down 15%.

The stock's pullback comes as several analysts express concerns about valuation. Further, the company said it is delaying deliveries of Model 3 vehicles in China, citing the coronavirus outbreak. Of course, it's also a natural time for the stock to take a breather; even including the stock's fall on Wednesday, shares are up 140% in the past three months and 70% in the last 30 days.

So what

Canaccord Genuity analyst Jed Dorsheimer cut his rating on Tesla stock from buy to hold on Wednesday, maintaining a 12-month price target of $750. He cited the stock's pricier valuation after its run-up, as well as headwinds in China at the company's factory in Shanghai. 

Meanwhile, Morgan Stanley analyst Adam Jonas said the stock's meteoric rise has led to "more questions than answers" for investors as they try to understand the automaker's current valuation. 

Now what

Tesla said on Chinese social network Weibo that vehicles scheduled for delivery in the market in early February will be delayed. "We will catch up the production line once the outbreak situation gets better," explained vice president of Tesla Global Tao Lin.

 

This article was originally published on Fool.com. All figures quoted in US dollars unless otherwise stated.

The Motley Fool Australia's parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns shares of and recommends Tesla. Daniel Sparks has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

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