NEW YORK, January 9, 2026, 16:05 (EST) — After-hours
- Tesla shares rose about 2% in late Friday trade, outpacing most U.S. auto peers.
- CES autonomy announcements kept focus on robotaxis and driver-assistance competition.
- Investors are also weighing shifting U.S. EV incentives and Tesla’s Jan. 28 earnings.
Tesla shares rose 2.2% to $445.17 in late Friday trading, after swinging between $430.40 and $448.78. General Motors fell 2.4%, Ford slipped 1.3% and Rivian dropped 3.1%.
The move came as U.S. stocks pushed to fresh highs after a softer-than-expected December jobs report, a backdrop that tends to favor high-beta names. Payrolls increased by 50,000 jobs and the unemployment rate dipped to 4.4%, a mix that reinforced expectations the Federal Reserve will hold rates at its Jan. 27-28 meeting while keeping rate-cut talk alive for later in the year. (Reuters)
Still, Tesla’s tape has been chained to autonomy headlines this week. At CES in Las Vegas, Nvidia rolled out a next-generation self-driving platform and a web of partnerships it says can speed development; Morgan Stanley analysts said the open platform could help Tesla rivals even if Tesla remains years ahead, and former Zoox product lead Russell Ong said “you could almost see Apple and Android playing out.” (Reuters)
Ford added more fuel. It said it would bring Level 3 driver-assistance — hands-off and eyes-off driving in limited highway conditions — to market in 2028, and executive Doug Field said pricing is still up in the air: “Should it be a subscription?” Tesla’s “Full Self-Driving” on consumer vehicles is a Level 2 system, which can steer and brake but still requires the driver to keep eyes on the road at all times. (Reuters)
Policy is another swing factor for EV demand and for Tesla’s credit sales. California Governor Gavin Newsom proposed $200 million in state EV tax rebates after Congress ended the $7,500 federal EV tax credit, and Reuters reported federal rule changes could also save automakers billions in buying regulatory credits from Tesla and others. (Reuters)
The old-line carmakers are already retreating. General Motors said it would take a $6 billion charge to unwind some EV investments as it reduces planned EV production, with most of the writedown tied to supplier payouts for canceled work. (Reuters)
But the downside case is plain: autonomy hype cools, competitors close the gap, and the core car business gets stuck in weak demand without subsidies. That would leave Tesla’s valuation exposed to any stumble in margins or guidance.
Next up is earnings. Tesla said it will post fourth-quarter results after market close on Wednesday, Jan. 28, and hold a Q&A webcast later that day; it has already reported producing 434,358 vehicles and delivering 418,227 in the quarter, alongside record energy storage deployments of 14.2 gigawatt-hours (GWh), a measure of energy delivered. Investors will be looking for 2026 delivery and margin targets — and whether management can put firmer dates on the autonomy story. (Sec)
