Tesla Motors stock experienced a sharp decline on Thursday, generating substantial profits for short sellers and deepening the debate surrounding the electric vehicle manufacturer.
The company's shares fell as much as 15% during Thursday's trading session, marking the steepest single-day drop in over a year. This followed second-quarter earnings that missed analyst expectations, reigniting concerns about the outlook for its artificial intelligence and robotics ventures.
According to calculations by Ihor Dusaniwsky, Managing Director at S3 Partners, the selloff resulted in mark-to-market paper gains of approximately $4.12 billion for short sellers in a single day.
Dragged down by a nearly 30% decline year-to-date, short sellers of Tesla have now accumulated total paper gains of roughly $8.92 billion in 2025.
Meanwhile, retail investors opted to buy the dip. Data from Vanda Research, provided by analyst Viraj Patel, showed that Tesla was the most purchased stock by individual investors on Thursday, with net inflows of $42 million.
Highest Short Interest Among 'Magnificent Seven' Stocks
Tesla holds the highest short interest among the 'Magnificent Seven' group of US tech stocks. S3 Partners data indicates that approximately 3% of Tesla's outstanding shares are currently sold short. In comparison, the second-highest short interest within the group is for Meta, which stands at just 1.6%.
From a valuation perspective, Tesla's current share price implies a forward price-to-earnings ratio of 151 times over the next 12 months, making it the most expensive stock in the 'Magnificent Seven' group. Its performance this year also ranks at the bottom of the cohort.
Analyst James Picariello from BNP Paribas stated in a research note, "As Tesla pursues ambitious AI goals with an extremely aggressive capital expenditure pace, we are highly cautious about the speed of its AI progress. The stock price already reflects extremely high expectations." He maintained a rating equivalent to 'sell' and a $280 price target.
Furthermore, lower-than-expected automotive profit margins have raised new questions about the profitability of Tesla's core business, thereby undermining confidence in its ability to support future grand visions and capital spending plans.
Diverging Views Emerge as Some See a Buying Opportunity
Despite the strong bearish sentiment, some analysts hold a different view.
Morningstar analyst Seth Goldstein believes that Tesla's stock is currently undervalued and maintains a forecast of strong future growth for the company, with a fair value target of $450. Goldstein wrote in a report, "For long-term investors, we view this pullback as a good buying opportunity."
Vanda Research analyst Viraj Patel noted that on Thursday, Tesla became the most purchased stock by retail investors, with net buying volume reaching $42 million.
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