New York, Feb 13, 2026, 10:04 EST — Regular session
- Tesla slipped 0.4%, changing hands at $415.51 during morning hours.
- The stock dropped 2.7% Thursday, following Tigress Research’s announcement of a new $550 price target.
- U.S. inflation numbers came in softer, helping rate-cut expectations hold firm, though traders remain cautious on stocks trading at steeper multiples.
Tesla slipped 0.4% to $415.51 early Friday, with the stock lagging as growth names opened warily—despite signs that U.S. inflation had eased.
Tesla’s back in the thick of rates-and-narrative trading. Investors tend to chase long-duration growth stocks like this one when bond yields drop. But if doubts creep in about timelines or margins, that trade can snap back in a hurry.
Tesla shares slid 2.7% on Thursday, even after Tigress Research picked up coverage with a “buy” and slapped a $550 target on the stock. Earlier in the day, the stock hit $436.23 before giving up ground. 1
The macro mood turned more favorable on Friday. January’s Consumer Price Index ticked up 0.2%, for a 2.4% annual gain—just shy of the 2.5% economists polled by Reuters had projected. “The inflation report is better than expected … This is good news for the Fed,” noted Phil Orlando, chief market strategist at Federated Hermes. Still, Josh Jamner at ClearBridge Investments flagged “price pressures percolating beneath the surface” and urged caution on bets for a third rate cut this year, citing “supercore” inflation, or core services minus shelter. 2
Tesla’s valuation is tightly linked to rates. Sure, a drop in discount rates props up those big multiples, but it doesn’t answer the nagging question: when will the company actually start generating predictable cash from its bets on autonomy and robotics?
Tigress called it a “physical AI growth flywheel,” pointing to the potential impact of growing Full Self-Driving subscriptions, robotaxis, and Optimus robots on Tesla’s longer-term outlook. The company has hyped these initiatives for years, but investors want more details on timing after a string of small-scale launches and pilot runs. 1
Tape action’s been choppy. Tesla sits heavy in retail accounts and options trades, so when mood swings, the stock’s moves can get exaggerated fast.
This could backfire in several ways. With autonomy rules set locally and safety regulators turning up the heat, the self-driving timeline has already faced setbacks. If rollout drags, shares would end up tied to the main car line—just as EV demand starts looking shaky.
Competition’s heating up. Alphabet’s Waymo has driverless taxis on the roads in several U.S. cities, while old-guard automakers keep backing advanced driver-assistance technology—despite tightening budgets in other parts of their business.
Traders are eyeing the Federal Reserve’s Jan. 27-28 meeting minutes, due out Feb. 18, before attention turns to late-week economic releases—U.S. GDP and personal income and spending both land on Feb. 20. U.S. equity markets take a break Monday for Presidents Day, reopening Tuesday. 3
