NEW YORK, Jan 4, 2026, 11:03 ET — Market closed
- Polestar shares closed Friday down 7.3% at $19.81 after a wide session range.
- Tesla and Rivian delivery updates put fresh focus on EV demand after the U.S. $7,500 tax credit ended in September.
- Polestar’s next catalyst is its Jan. 9 fourth-quarter retail sales update.
Polestar Automotive Holding UK PLC shares fell 7.3% on Friday, Jan. 2, to close at $19.81, after trading as high as $23.28 and as low as $19.61 on about 418,000 shares of volume. U.S. markets are closed Sunday and reopen Monday, Jan. 5.
The move comes days before Polestar is due to publish its fourth-quarter retail sales volumes, a delivery tally investors use as a quick read on demand ahead of fuller financial results. That update lands as EV makers face tougher pricing and higher scrutiny on who can grow without heavy incentives.
Tesla said it delivered 418,227 vehicles in the October-December quarter, down 15.6% from a year earlier, and lost its annual EV sales lead to China’s BYD, as competition rose and the $7,500 federal EV tax credit ended in September. “The decline in deliveries was not a major surprise,” said Seth Goldstein, a senior equity research analyst at Morningstar; Tesla is set to report results on Jan. 28. Reuters
Rivian on Friday reported 2025 deliveries of 42,247 vehicles, down about 18% from a year earlier and slightly below consensus, underlining pressure on demand for higher-priced EVs. The company said it will release fourth-quarter and full-year results on Feb. 12 after markets close.
Polestar expects to report its fourth-quarter 2025 retail sales volumes on Jan. 9, an SEC filing showed. Retail sales are vehicles handed over to end customers, and the update often moves the stock because it comes ahead of the detailed quarterly report.
The company last year announced a 1-for-30 reverse stock split — consolidating shares into fewer units to lift the per-share price — after Nasdaq flagged it for falling below the $1 minimum bid required for continued listing. Polestar has also been shifting toward a dealer-focused model and leaning more on Europe to offset weak U.S. demand, Reuters reported at the time.
Next week’s macro calendar could also sway EV shares, with U.S. monthly employment data due Jan. 9 and the consumer price index on Jan. 13, as investors gauge the interest-rate path. Fourth-quarter earnings season begins to ramp up in the same stretch, Reuters reported.
Higher yields can weigh on EV makers by raising buyer financing costs and pushing up the discount rates used to value future cash flows. Softer inflation or labor data can flip that script quickly.
On the chart, traders will watch whether PSNY holds Friday’s $19.60 low; a break would leave little nearby support from that session. The $23 area is near-term resistance after Friday’s intraday spike.
But Polestar’s own readout could quickly take control of the narrative. A weak Q4 sales figure, or signs that promotions are doing the heavy lifting, would sharpen doubts about demand and pricing into 2026.
Tesla’s Jan. 28 earnings and commentary on pricing will also be watched for read-throughs across the EV space. Rivian’s Feb. 12 report is another checkpoint on whether premium EV demand is stabilizing.
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