Tesla stock dropped on Wednesday following the release of March's consumer price index (CPI) in the U.S., which came in hotter than expected.
The CPI showed a 3.5% increase compared to the previous year, above the 3.4% economists had predicted. This uptick in U.S. inflation suggests that interest rates could remain elevated for a more extended period, potentially leading to more expensive car loans for prospective buyers.
For investors in the automotive sector, interest rates are the primary factor when analyzing monthly CPI data. The report showed a marginal 0.1% decrease in new car prices year-over-year. “Investors don’t get their most current car pricing information from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Still, the decline is another small bit of bad news in the current report”, wrote Barron’s correspondent Al Root.
Used car prices dipped 2.2% compared to the previous year.
The CPI report exerted downward pressure on several automotive stocks. Tesla stock fell by 2.89%, with the S&P 500 index and Nasdaq Composite indices also dipping by 1% and 0.84%, respectively.
Shares of Ford Motor Co. and General Motors Co. also saw declines of 3.55% and 1.77%, respectively.
At the time of writing on Thursday, Tesla stock was down 0.6% in premarket trading at $170.72. The company’s shares have shed close to 31% of their value since the start of the year.
Wednesday’s dip was a setback for Tesla bulls who had anticipated a third consecutive day of gains. On Tuesday, Tesla shares closed at $176.88, marking a second day of gains and coming in higher than the price before the company released a disappointing Q1 earnings report.
Before the CPI report was released, Tesla stock was on the rise early Wednesday. TSLA shares appeared to be supported by Elon Musk's tweets, even though several Wall Street analysts had cut their price targets for the company’s stock.
The Tesla CEO tweeted twice on Friday. Musk first denied a Reuters report claiming the company would halt the development of a more affordable vehicle, tentatively referred to as the Tesla Model 2, and later announced an upcoming robotaxi reveal on August 8.
Tesla's market value increased by about $50 billion from Friday's low, leading up to Tuesday's trading, with shares reaching over $178 in premarket activity.
This rise occurred despite analysts Alexander Potter of Piper Sandler and Philippe Houchois of Jefferies lowering their Tesla stock price targets.
Potter reduced his target to $205 from $225, maintaining a Buy rating, despite Tesla's first-quarter deliveries falling short by approximately 20,000 units against Wall Street's lowest forecasts.
Houchois adjusted his target to $165 from $185, anticipating additional "drama" in the first-quarter results due on April 23, and rated Tesla stock a Hold.
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