Tesla Stock Daily Drive
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 Dusty, your guide through the maze of numbers, news, and nuances shaping Elon Musk’s electric juggernaut.
This week, Tesla found itself in a volatile trading environment from December 8th to the 12th of 2025. With a year-to-date return of 17.7%, Tesla's stock is dancing around its highs and lows, showcasing the classic tug-of-war between optimism and skepticism.
Kicking off the week, Tesla opened Monday on a shaky note. Analysts at Morgan Stanley dialed down their outlook, predicting a frosty "EV winter" with a potential 20% drop in U.S. EV sales next year. This cast a shadow over Tesla’s ambitious value beyond the automotive world, stirring anxiety among investors.
Tuesday saw a partial rebound. Despite early morning jitters over regulatory scrutiny, optimism grew by the day's end thanks to upbeat remarks from Piper Sandler and RBC. Their focus on Tesla’s AI and robotics ambitions kept the optimism alive, suggesting that there's more to Tesla than meets the eye.
Midweek, Tesla shares rallied again, invigorated by the Federal Reserve hinting at interest-rate cuts for 2026. The buzz around Tesla’s AI potential added fuel to the fire, as investors speculated on how these advancements could transform the company’s future prospects.
Thursday was a choppy ride. Reports emerged of a precipitous decline in U.S. sales, even with Tesla introducing leaner models. Analysts warned about potential cannibalization of premium vehicles—a concern that keeps poking at the edges of investor confidence.
Finally, Friday brought a breath of fresh air. Tesla surged on the back of aggressive sales incentives for the Model Y and stirred talks about board member Kimbal Musk's substantial share sale. Was it an omen of overvaluation? Or simply prudent financial planning? The debate continues.
As we head into the weekend, investors are eyeing December delivery numbers and the upcoming Q4 earnings report. These will likely set the stage for Tesla's narrative as we move forward.
For those considering diving into Tesla stocks, staying attuned to delivery data, regulatory developments, and the broader economic landscape is key. Tesla's path is fraught with excitement and uncertainty, a dynamic dance that requires a keen eye and steady nerves.
Thank you for tuning in. Remember, when the dust settles, only the truth remains.
## Weekly Overview
Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ: TSLA) entered the week of December 8–12, 2025, trading in a volatile environment shaped by shifting analyst views, macroeconomic factors and company-specific developments. Year-to-date, TSLA has delivered a 17.7% return, even as it remains roughly 8% below its 52-week high near $488.50 and more than 100% above its 52-week low around $214.29 ([statmuse.com](https://www.statmuse.com/money/ask/tesla-stock-performance-2025?utm_source=openai)). After recovering from a mid-year drawdown exceeding 50% into April 2025, investors have grappled with Tesla’s lofty valuation—trailing price-to-earnings ratios in the 200–300 range versus the broader market—and hefty expectations for its non-auto ambitions such as Full Self-Driving (FSD) software, humanoid robots and the broader AI play ([ts2.tech](https://ts2.tech/en/tesla-tsla-stock-after-the-bell-on-december-10-2025-ai-hype-fed-cut-and-what-to-watch-before-the-december-11-open/?utm_source=openai)). The week’s trading range reflected this tension, with TSLA navigating Federal Reserve rate-cut speculation, U.S. EV tax-credit changes, and mixed signals on consumer demand and regulatory scrutiny.
### Monday, December 8, 2025
Tesla opened at $447.45 and closed at $439.58, a decline of 1.8% intraday and down 3.4% from the prior Friday’s close of $455.00 ([statmuse.com](https://www.statmuse.com/money/ask/tesla-stock-performance-2025?utm_source=openai)). Volume surged to 69.2 million shares, above its 10-day average, as Morgan Stanley downgraded TSLA to “Equal Weight” from “Overweight,” albeit slightly raising its target to $425. Analysts at Morgan Stanley cited an anticipated 20% year-over-year drop in U.S. EV sales in 2026, labeling an “EV winter” that could pressure Tesla’s core market amid expiring tax credits and affordability headwinds ([ts2.tech](https://ts2.tech/en/tesla-tsla-after-hours-on-december-9-2025-price-action-fed-jitters-fsd-hype-and-what-to-watch-before-the-december-10-open/?utm_source=openai)). That downgrade exacerbated broader market skepticism, sending shares down early before a modest afternoon recovery.
### Tuesday, December 9, 2025
After opening at $437.54, TSLA closed at $445.17, up 1.7% intraday, as pre-market chatter painted a cautious tone. In early trading, TSLA fell 3.39% in pre-market trades amid investor caution ahead of upcoming Q4 earnings and renewed regulatory scrutiny over its autonomous-driving tech ([ainvest.com](https://www.ainvest.com/news/tesla-tsla-shares-plunge-3-389-investor-caution-weighs-key-earnings-regulatory-developments-2512/?utm_source=openai)). However, by the regular session close, the stock reclaimed losses, buoyed by comments from Piper Sandler and RBC retaining “Overweight” and “Outperform” ratings, respectively—each stressing long-dated AI and robotics optionality as key value drivers ([ts2.tech](https://ts2.tech/en/tesla-tsla-after-hours-on-december-9-2025-price-action-fed-jitters-fsd-hype-and-what-to-watch-before-the-december-10-open/?utm_source=openai)). Volume moderated to 62.4 million shares, roughly in line with its recent average, indicating a balanced tug-of-war between bulls and bears.
### Wednesday, December 10, 2025
Tesla shares rallied again, opening at $446.07 and closing at $451.45, for a 1.2% gain, on unusually strong participation with 63.3 million shares traded ([ts2.tech](https://ts2.tech/en/tesla-tsla-stock-after-the-bell-on-december-10-2025-ai-hype-fed-cut-and-what-to-watch-before-the-december-11-open/?utm_source=openai)). The afternoon boost was linked to broader market relief as Federal Reserve signals pivoted toward interest-rate cuts in early 2026, and Wall Street buzzed over renewed AI hype tied to Tesla’s FSD upgrades and potential data monetization down the line ([ts2.tech](https://ts2.tech/en/tesla-tsla-stock-after-the-bell-on-december-10-2025-ai-hype-fed-cut-and-what-to-watch-before-the-december-11-open/?utm_source=openai)). Option-expiration dynamics also played a role, with elevated open interest at the $450 strike creating a gamma-pinning effect that stabilized TSLA around that level. After-hours, TSLA dipped slightly by 0.3% to near $450, reflecting profit-taking ahead of Thursday’s session.
### Thursday, December 11, 2025
Trading remained choppy as Tesla opened at $448.95 but dipped to a $440.33 intraday low before settling at $446.89, a 0.45% drop from Wednesday’s close, on volume of 56.0 million shares ([statmuse.com](https://www.statmuse.com/money/ask/tesla-stock-performance-2025?utm_source=openai)). The session’s weakness was partly attributed to Reuters reporting that U.S. sales plummeted to a near four-year low in November—39,800 units, down 23% year-over-year—despite Tesla’s rollout of cheaper “Standard” variants of the Model Y and Model 3 ([reuters.com](https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/tesla-us-sales-drop-nearly-3-year-low-november-despite-launch-cheaper-versions-2025-12-11/?utm_source=openai)). Analysts warned that these lower-priced trims cannibalized higher-margin premium models, signaling that mere price cuts might not arrest demand erosion. Moreover, lingering concerns over the timing of the Cybertruck launch and ongoing regulatory probes into vehicle safety weighed on sentiment.
### Friday, December 12, 2025
Tesla closed the week on a high note, surging 2.29% to $458.96 from a $448.09 open, with volume spiking to an 8-day high of 95.7 million shares ([statmuse.com](https://www.statmuse.com/money/ask/tesla-stock-performance-2025?utm_source=openai)). The jump on Friday was driven by two main catalysts: first, Tesla’s aggressive year-end incentives on Model Y—0% APR financing, free upgrades and zero-down leases—to shore up sales amid tax-credit changes and tougher financing conditions ([ts2.tech](https://ts2.tech/en/tesla-stock-pre-market-today-december-10-2025-fresh-price-action-before-the-bell/?utm_source=openai)); second, market focus on a sizeable insider sale by board member Kimbal Musk, who offloaded 56,820 shares worth $25.6 million, prompting debate over whether scheduled liquidity moves signaled overvaluation or simply normal portfolio diversification ([ts2.tech](https://ts2.tech/en/tesla-stock-tsla-after-hours-on-dec-12-2025-shares-hold-near-459-as-demand-data-incentives-and-analyst-forecasts-collide-ahead-of-the-next-open/?utm_source=openai)). Late-week analyst commentary largely coalesced around the view that while near-term catalysts may be priced in, TSLA remains susceptible to choppy trading in 2026 absent clear delivery growth or FSD breakthroughs.
### Weekend Note (December 13–14, 2025)
U.S. equity markets were closed on Saturday and Sunday. Heading into the following week, investors will be closely watching Tesla’s December delivery numbers, due in mid-January, as well as the company’s Q4 earnings report scheduled for late January 2026. The resolution of key debates around FSD safety, Cybertruck roll-out, and global demand trends is expected to dictate TSLA’s next directional move.
**Summary:** Over December 8–12, Tesla’s stock exhibited a classic tug-of-war: heavy‐handed downgrades and demand worries early in the week gave way to Fed-inspired rallies, Model Y incentives and insider narratives by week’s end. With TSLA trading near $459, the stock remains anchored in a high-volatility regime, where every bit of delivery data, regulatory update or AI news can sway investor conviction.
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