Why Tesla stock surged higher today

Will higher interest rates pressure demand at Tesla?

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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 Tesla, Inc. (NASDAQ: TSLA) were trading up over 4% earlier this morning before giving back some of those gains by early afternoon. By market close, the EV stock was up 2.51%.

What probably got the market off on a positive note was a small pullback in interest rates at the start of trading on Tuesday. Long-term U.S. Treasury rates have more than doubled year to date, which has pressured the valuations of expensive growth stocks like Tesla.

However, later in the morning, Reuters reported that Tesla planned to hold production at its Shanghai plant below full capacity. The market is trying to figure out what this might mean for Tesla's business.

So what

Ongoing semiconductor shortages, resulting in many completed cars having to wait on chips before they can finish production, has been a big problem for car manufacturers. The chip shortage is expected to last into 2023, causing Honda Motor to cut 40% of its production recently, according to reports.

Reuters reported that Tesla plans to hold production at its Shanghai plant at 93% of capacity. Whether this signals production challenges or a lack of consumer demand is anyone's guess at this point. What is certain is that the recent rise in interest rates is making it more expensive to purchase new vehicles, but this might not be a problem for high-income individuals who are interested in Tesla's cars.

Now what

In July, CEO Elon Musk expressed optimism about the second half of the year, noting the potential for "record-breaking" results after achieving production records at the Fremont and Shanghai plants during the second quarter. Of course, that was before more data came out showing that inflation is still running too high. The Federal Reserve recently raised the fed funds rate again, with more rate hikes likely on the way.

Analysts expect Tesla to report record deliveries of 350,000 units for the third quarter. Investors will get new information about demand trends when the company releases the next update on deliveries, which should come out by Oct. 2.

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

John Ballard has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia's parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Tesla. The Motley Fool Australia has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. 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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