TLDR
- Tesla (TSLA) stock fell 2.1% on Friday to $354.72, after closing at $362.44 the day before.
- The new Roadster flew in a demo using SpaceX-style air thrusters, but production is not planned until 2028.
- Tesla reports third-quarter earnings on October 21, with investors watching margins and free cash flow.
- Analysts hold a consensus “Hold” rating and a $412.33 average price target.
- Prediction-market odds of a Tesla-SpaceX merger in early 2027 have risen above 50%.
Tesla (TSLA) stock fell 2.1% on Friday to $354.72, even after a Roadster reveal that had the internet talking. The stock traded as low as $349.33 and closed the prior session at $362.44.
Volume ran heavy. About 61.6 million shares changed hands, roughly 21% above the daily average of 50.8 million.
The stock now sits below its 50-day moving average of $359.46. It is also well under its 200-day average of $377.06.
Tesla showed off the next-generation Roadster on Thursday evening. The prototype drove up a curved wall, flipped, and jumped over a row of Tesla vehicles. It also used thrusters adapted from SpaceX to fly in short bursts.
The company says the air thrusters help the car go from zero to 60 mph in 0.8 second. Ten nozzles manage 250 kilograms of air stored in high-pressure tanks. The tanks can recharge on their own.
What the Roadster Means for the Stock
The demo was a crowd-pleaser, but analysts were not sold on the money side. Production is planned for 2028, and Tesla gave no firm price. The car has two seats, not the four some analysts expected.
Real life, baby pic.twitter.com/3QEqn18wig
— Tesla (@Tesla) October 16, 2026
There will be three versions: a base model, a thruster-enhanced model, and an “invite only” rocket model. Analysts called the event an engineering spectacle. A high price and low volume are unlikely to lift earnings soon.
Investors are watching the autonomy story more closely. Tesla won approval for its self-driving tech in Slovakia, and its Cybercab robotaxi fleet reportedly grew in Austin. Still, rivals like Nvidia and Waymo are pushing their own systems.
A U.S. appeals court also blocked class-action lawsuits over Tesla’s self-driving claims. That cuts near-term legal exposure, though regulatory questions remain.
Earnings are the next big test. Tesla reports on October 21. Investors will look at deliveries, auto margins, free cash flow, and capital spending. Options markets point to a large move after the report.
The last report, in July, was mixed. Tesla earned $0.33 per share against the $0.50 consensus. Revenue of $28.24 billion beat the $26.42 billion estimate and rose 25.5% from a year earlier.
Valuation is part of the debate. Tesla has a market cap of about $1.40 trillion and a P/E ratio of 328. Some analysts point to shrinking margins and negative free cash flow.
Wall Street is split. One analyst rates the stock Strong Buy, 23 say Buy, 17 say Hold, and five say Sell. UBS raised its target to $391 from $385 on October 7, while JPMorgan cut its target to $415 from $445 in late September.
The SpaceX link keeps growing. The two companies already work together on AI agents, chip making, and power supply. Prediction-market odds of a merger in early 2027 are now above 50%, though no deal has been announced.
Tesla reports third-quarter results on October 21, with the stock last at $354.72.
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