Tesla Stock Daily Drive

July 21, 2025 • Finance

Hosted by Dusty

About This Episode

Generated finance podcast with host Dusty based on prompt: Daily stock movements for Tesla. Focus on the stock, but provide any important background information that is necessary.

Transcript

Welcome to "Tesla Stock Daily Drive," where we navigate the twists and turns of Tesla's market journey. I'm your host, Dusty, bringing you a calm and thoughtful analysis in the world of finance.

Let's kick things off with a quick market overview. As we know, U.S. equity markets, including the NYSE and Nasdaq, are typically closed on the weekends, and July 20, 2025, was no exception as it fell on a Sunday. This time off provides a window for system maintenance and allows investors some breathing room to digest news without the pressure of immediate trading. Trading activity will pick up again on Monday, July 21, when markets reopen.

Now, shifting gears to a key financial story from the most recent trading session on Friday, July 18. Tesla made headlines with its shares closing at $329.65, representing a solid gain of 3.21%. The stock rallied despite trading on a lower volume than its 50-day average. It's interesting to see this rise, especially when the broader markets remained relatively flat, with the Nasdaq Composite holding steady and the Dow Jones Industrial Average slipping slightly.

Within the auto industry, Tesla's performance stood out. While other automakers like General Motors and Ford saw minimal movement, Tesla surged ahead. However, even with this upward momentum, it's important to note Tesla's shares remain well below their 52-week high of $488.54.

Delving into the catalysts behind Tesla's Friday boost, several factors come into play. There's heightened anticipation for the upcoming Q2 earnings report. Investors are bracing for a potential revenue decline and a drop in adjusted earnings. Meanwhile, a legal settlement and new tariffs on graphite imports from China have added layers of complexity to Tesla's operations, yet also provided some relief from ongoing litigation worries.

Looking at the broader context, Tesla's valuation continues to be a hot topic. Trading at nearly 150 times expected earnings, the stock appears overvalued to some analysts. Among 17 brokers, opinions vary with ratings from "buy" to "hold" to "sell," and an average price target sitting below Friday’s close.

Tesla’s journey through 2025 has been rocky, with shares down nearly 20% year-to-date. This underperformance, compared to the flat Nasdaq and mild gains in peers like Nvidia and Apple, reflects some of the broader sentiments in the market, including reactions to Elon Musk’s political activities and potential shifts in federal policy regarding EV tax incentives.

As the weekend concludes and we look ahead to Monday, July 21, Tesla's stock will once again be open for trading. Eyes are on the Q2 earnings release expected on July 22. Investors are keen on hearing any updates from CEO Elon Musk, particularly anything related to the robotaxi roadmap. The wider market sentiment will also be influenced by the Federal Reserve's upcoming policy meeting.

The question we're all pondering is whether the optimism from Friday will carry over or if we’ll see a round of profit-taking. These moments build the narrative of Tesla's volatile story in 2025, and as usual, we'll be right here, driving along with you.

That wraps up today’s episode of "Tesla Stock Daily Drive." Thanks for joining me on this journey through the marketplace. Remember, when the dust settles, only the truth remains. Until next time, stay informed and keep navigating wisely!

1. Market Closure on July 20, 2025
U.S. equity markets, including the NYSE and Nasdaq, operate Monday through Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time and are closed on weekends and federal holidays. As July 20, 2025 fell on a Sunday, no trading activity occurred in Tesla (TSLA) shares or any other U.S.–listed equities on that date. While some brokers offer after-hours or weekend order placement, executions only occur once regular trading resumes on Monday, July 21. This weekend closure is a longstanding feature of U.S. markets, intended to provide system maintenance windows and allow investors to digest news without immediate trading pressures ([investopedia.com](https://www.investopedia.com/ask/answers/06/stockexchangeclosed.asp?utm_source=chatgpt.com), [investopedia.com](https://www.investopedia.com/weekend-and-holiday-trading-what-you-can-cant-do-11758203?utm_source=chatgpt.com)).

2. Latest Trading Session—Friday, July 18, 2025
The most recent trading session before July 20 took place on Friday, July 18. Tesla closed at $329.65, marking a gain of $10.24 or 3.21% from Thursday’s close. The stock opened at $321.66, traded as high as $330.90 and as low as $321.42, on volume of 94.25 million shares. This volume was modestly below Tesla’s 50-day average of roughly 109.3 million, suggesting some hesitation among traders despite the rally ([investing.com](https://www.investing.com/equities/tesla-motors-historical-data?utm_source=chatgpt.com), [marketwatch.com](https://www.marketwatch.com/data-news/tesla-inc-stock-climbs-3-2-outperforms-competitors-81170144-f21f3a114fd5?utm_source=chatgpt.com)).

3. Comparative Performance Against Benchmarks and Peers
On July 18, Tesla outpaced the broader market. The Nasdaq Composite was essentially flat, ending the day at 20,895.66, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.3% to 44,342.19. Among automakers, Tesla’s 3.2% advance contrasted with an unchanged session for General Motors, a 0.1% rise for Ford Motor Co. to $11.16, and a 0.23% dip in NIO ADRs to $4.39. Despite this relative strength, Tesla remains well off its 52-week peak of $488.54 reached last December—down about 32.5% from that high. The divergence between Tesla’s momentum and its peers underscores the stock’s idiosyncratic drivers, including tech-growth sentiment and Elon Musk’s public profile ([marketwatch.com](https://www.marketwatch.com/data-news/tesla-inc-stock-climbs-3-2-outperforms-competitors-81170144-f21f3a114fd5?utm_source=chatgpt.com), [marketwatch.com](https://www.marketwatch.com/data-news/tesla-inc-stock-climbs-3-2-outperforms-competitors-81170144-f21f3a114fd5?utm_source=chatgpt.com)).

4. Catalysts Behind Friday’s Move
Several factors contributed to the July 18 uptick. Investor focus shifted toward next week’s Q2 earnings report, with analysts anticipating a 10% revenue decline to $22.9 billion and a nearly 20% drop in adjusted EPS to $0.43. In addition, a legal settlement relating to a 2019 Model 3 crash provided relief from litigation overhang, and fresh U.S. tariffs on graphite imports from China—albeit adding only modest per-vehicle cost increases—reduced uncertainty around raw-material expenses. The confluence of these developments helped soothe some bearish worries ahead of earnings ([barrons.com](https://www.barrons.com/articles/tesla-stock-china-tariff-ev-7db6b655?utm_source=chatgpt.com), [investopedia.com](https://www.investopedia.com/what-analysts-think-of-tesla-stock-ahead-of-earnings-11773546?utm_source=chatgpt.com)).

5. Broader Context—Valuation, Sentiment, and Year-to-Date Trends
Despite Friday’s rally, Tesla’s valuation remains under scrutiny. The shares trade near 150 times expected earnings, a steep premium versus traditional automakers, and appear overvalued to some analysts. Among 17 brokers tracked by Visible Alpha, 8 rate TSLA a “buy,” 5 a “hold,” and 4 a “sell,” with an average price target of about $300—roughly 9% below Friday’s close. Year-to-date, Tesla is the worst performer of the “Magnificent 7” tech cohort, down nearly 20%, compared with a roughly flat Nasdaq and muted gains in peers like Nvidia and Apple. This underperformance reflects investor fatigue over Musk’s political engagements and the uncertainty surrounding upcoming federal policy changes, including potential shifts to EV tax incentives ([investopedia.com](https://www.investopedia.com/what-analysts-think-of-tesla-stock-ahead-of-earnings-11773546?utm_source=chatgpt.com), [investopedia.com](https://www.investopedia.com/what-analysts-think-of-tesla-stock-ahead-of-earnings-11773546?utm_source=chatgpt.com)).

6. Conclusion and Outlook
With markets closed on Sunday, attention now turns to Monday, July 21, when Tesla’s shares will re-open for trading. Key near-term drivers include the Q2 earnings release expected after the close on July 22, comments from CEO Elon Musk on the company’s robotaxi roadmap, and broader market sentiment shaped by Federal Reserve commentary ahead of the July 29–30 policy meeting. Investors will be watching whether Friday’s pre-earnings optimism carries into next week or gives way to profit-taking, especially if headline numbers fail to meet high expectations. For now, Friday’s session stands as the latest concrete data point in Tesla’s volatile 2025 trading narrative.

Tesla Stock Daily Drive