Why is TSLA stock down?

TSLA is down 7.3% over five trading days, closing at $354.72 on Oct. 16, 2026. When a stock drops like this, the first question is whether the problem is the company or the whole group it trades with.

To answer that, we compare TSLA with its closest peers, check the calendar for earnings and Fed dates, and go through Tesla, Inc.'s latest SEC filings and insider trades.

The chart below tracks TSLA's daily closing price from April 22, 2026 to Oct. 16, 2026. Over that stretch it is down 8.5%, from $387.51 to $354.72, with a high of $445.27 on May 13, 2026 and a low of $298.32 on July 29, 2026. Each red dot marks a day company insiders sold shares on the open market (4 days in this period). There are no green dots: no insider bought on the open market in this window.

TSLA vs peers this week

The table below shows how TSLA stacks up against its peers this week.

What could be behind the TSLA move

Earnings are due on Oct. 21, 2026 (in 3 days); stocks often move ahead of reports.

Company filings in the last weeks: 8-K on Sept. 29, 2026 (Debt financing (not convertible)).

Across the broader market, the backdrop is an uptrend under stress, with the VIX volatility index at 16.46. The Federal Reserve's next rate decision is on Oct. 28, 2026, 10 days away; market pricing puts the odds at 85% for a hold, 14% for a hike and 1% for a cut.

Also worth knowing about TSLA

Live TSLA data, updated every 30 minutes: TSLA insider trades, ownership and filings →

What would change the picture for TSLA

These are the specific events and levels to watch. None of them is a prediction.

• The Oct. 21, 2026 earnings report (3 days away). Tesla, Inc. beat estimates in 2 of the last 4 quarters (average surprise -7.0%); a miss would break that pattern.
• An open-market purchase by an insider at Tesla, Inc.. There has been none in 90 days; Form 4 filings would show one within two business days of the trade.
• Analyst ratings: the average score moved from 3.48 to 3.54 over three months (1 = strong buy, 5 = strong sell). A run of downgrades after earnings usually shows up here first.
• Price levels: a close above $489.88 would be a new 52-week high (+38.1% from here); a close below $298.32 would be a new 52-week low (-15.9%).
• Growth: revenue rose 11.8% year over year in the quarter ending Jun 2026 (trend: accelerating). At a P/E of 328.4, a slowdown would matter more than at a lower multiple.
• New shares: dilution risk is moderate now. A new shelf registration (S-3) or a prospectus supplement (424B) for an offering would raise it.

How TSLA compares with its peers

Over the past month TSLA ranks 1 of 2 in this group (-3.1%); the best was TSLA (-3.1%) and the weakest SPCX (-5.7%).

TSLA history: what happened after similar moves

Since 2023, TSLA fell 10% or more in a month 16 times (separate episodes, not counting the current one). Three months later it was higher in 9 of 15 cases; the median change was +2.6%.

Past moves don't predict the next one; they show how volatile the stock has been.

Questions people also ask

What is TSLA's 52-week high and low?

Over the past year TSLA closed as high as $489.88 and as low as $298.32. At $354.72 (Oct. 16, 2026) it is down 27.6% from the high and 18.9% above the low.

Do analysts think TSLA is a buy?

30 of the 61 analysts who cover Tesla, Inc. rate it a buy or strong buy, for a consensus of Hold. Ratings describe analysts' views, not a guarantee, and they change after earnings.

Is Tesla, Inc. issuing new shares?

Dilution risk reads moderate (30/100); the share count rose 22.4% in a year.

Does TSLA pay a dividend?

Tesla, Inc. reported no dividend payments over the last 12 months in its SEC filings.

Are TSLA insiders buying or selling?

Insiders sold $938,409 of TSLA on the open market in 90 days and bought none. Sales are often routine (taxes, diversification, pre-planned plans); purchases with their own money are the stronger signal.

Is Tesla, Inc. profitable?

Yes. Tesla, Inc. had $103.6 billion of revenue over the last 12 months with a net margin of 3.7% and a P/E of 328.4.

Dates to watch for TSLA

Insider trades can come any day: they must be filed on Form 4 within two business days.

Key terms on this page

P/E ratio

Price divided by the last 12 months of earnings per share. A P/E of 20 means investors pay $20 for each $1 of yearly profit. It is only defined when the company is profitable.

Form 4

The SEC form a company's officers, directors and 10% owners must file within two business days of buying or selling its stock.

Open-market trade

A purchase or sale on the exchange at the market price, paid with the insider's own money (code P or S on Form 4), as opposed to option exercises, grants or gifts.

Dilution

When a company issues new shares, each existing share owns a smaller piece of the company. Common sources: stock offerings, convertible debt and large stock-based pay.

Form 8-K

The SEC form for material events between quarterly reports: earnings releases, deals, executive changes, stock offerings and similar news.

52-week high / low

The highest and lowest daily closing price over the past year (about 252 trading days).

Analyst consensus

The average of Wall Street analysts' ratings (strong buy to strong sell). Analysts skew positive, so a hold is often read as a cautious view.

Where these numbers come from

Every number on this page is computed from the data when the page is refreshed (usually daily); nothing is typed in by hand. This is information, not investment advice.

• Price: daily closing prices through Oct. 16, 2026; changes use 5, 21 and 63 trading days; the 52-week range uses the last 252 closes.
• Insider trades: SEC Form 4 filings for the last 90 days, counting only open-market purchases (code P) and sales (code S); option exercises, grants, gifts and filings with data errors are left out.
• Analyst ratings: counts of current ratings from 61 analysts, compared with three months ago.
• Earnings dates and estimates: a market-data calendar; reported vs expected EPS for the last 4 quarters.
• Valuation and growth: revenue, earnings, margins and share counts from the company's SEC filings (XBRL data, latest quarter Jun 2026); P/E and price/sales use the latest close.
• Fund ownership: SEC Form 13F filings for Q2 2026.
• Dilution: share-count changes and offering-related SEC filings (shelf registrations, prospectus supplements, convertible notes) over two years, scored 0-100.
• History: 21-trading-day moves over about three years of daily closes, counted once per episode.