Tesla inventory had its worst week in 20 months after Musk offered shares

Shares of Tesla declined 15.4% for the week after CEO Elon Musk commenced along with his plans to promote an enormous block of his holdings this week.

It marks Tesla’s worst one-week efficiency in 20 months. It is also the inventory’s worst week ever excluding declines that occurred in February and March 2020 — because the coronavirus pandemic emerged within the U.S., roiling markets.

Tesla closed down 2.8% on Friday.

Musk — who nonetheless owns greater than 167 million shares of Tesla, based on monetary filings out Friday morning — offered inventory value round $5.7 billion this week.

Musk offered shares partly to fulfill tax obligations associated to an train of inventory choices. Earlier than his sale plan was made public, Musk requested his 62.5 million Twitter followers to vote in an off-the-cuff ballot, telling them their vote would decide the way forward for his Tesla holdings. This week’s filings reveal he knew a few of his shares had been slated on the market this week.

Tesla shares are nonetheless up round 46% yr so far following a report closing worth of $1,229.91 on Nov. 4, 2021.

By comparability, Ford shares are up round 120%, Common Motors shares are up round 51% and Volkswagen AG shares have risen round 66% year-to-date.

The stoop in Tesla’s inventory worth adopted a sell-off, and coincided with a record-breaking IPO in autos for Rivian, a more moderen maker of totally electrical pickup vehicles and sport utility autos.

Shares of Rivian closed rose 5.6% on Friday. It is up round 66.6% since its debut on Wednesday.

Rivian raised round $12 billion in its market debut Wednesday, making its IPO the biggest on the planet this yr to this point. Rivian now ranks the second Most worthy automotive producer within the U.S. behind Tesla, although it expects to report lower than $1 million in gross sales for the third quarter.

In monetary filings, Rivian stated that it has 55,400 preorders for its R1S SUV and R1T pickup truck, plus a contract to construct 100,000 electrical supply vans for Amazon by 2030.

Musk responded to Rivian’s IPO success on Twitter saying:

“I hope they’re capable of obtain excessive manufacturing & breakeven money circulate. That’s the true check. There have been tons of of automotive startups, each electrical & combustion, however Tesla is just American carmaker to achieve excessive quantity manufacturing & optimistic money circulate in previous 100 years.”