Skip to content

CFDs are leveraged products. CFD trading may not be suitable for everyone and can result in losses that exceed your deposits, so please ensure that you fully understand the risks involved. CFDs are leveraged products. CFD trading may not be suitable for everyone and can result in losses that exceed your deposits, so please ensure that you fully understand the risks involved.

Tesla stock falls after cutting 7% of its workforce

Tesla stock is down after announcing elimination of workers in the near future.

Tesla car after firing workers Source: Bloomberg

Tesla shares have plummeted by as much as 9% after the car company announced the firing of 7% of its workforce as it ramps up production of the popular Model 3 cars. Chief executive officer, (CEO) Elon Musk, made the announcement in an email to employees.

‘Very difficult’ time for Tesla

Musk noted that the automaker is having a ‘very difficult’ task of producing affordable electric cars that can compete with other automakers like Ford and General Motors that are producing their own gas-free automobiles. Tesla is already struggling after missing its fourth quarter(Q4) delivery goals. Musk said that firing 7% of its 45,000 employees is necessary to decrease costs in production.

‘Tesla will need to make these cuts while increasing the Model 3 production rate and making many manufacturing engineering improvements in the coming months. Attempting to build affordable clean energy products at scale necessarily requires extreme effort and relentless creativity, but succeeding in our mission is essential to ensure that the future is good, so we must do everything we can to advance the cause,’ noted Musk.

Musk also shared the timeline for delivering the Model 3 sedan in the email to employers.

‘Starting around May, we will need to deliver at least the mid-range Model 3 variant in all markets, as we need to reach more customers who can afford our vehicles. Moreover, we need to continue making progress towards lower priced variants of Model 3,’ wrote Musk.

Tesla has weak guidance for Q4 results

In addition to the news of cutting staff, investors are concerned about the worse-than-expected guidance Musk has for Tesla when its Q4 earnings report is released.

‘In Q4, preliminary, unaudited results indicate that we again made a GAAP [generally accepted accounting principles] profit, but less than Q3,’ noted Musk.

However, Musk expressed optimism that Tesla will continue to turn a profit.

‘This quarter, as with Q3, shipment of higher priced Model 3 variants (this time to Europe and Asia) will hopefully allow us, with great difficulty, effort and some luck, to target a tiny profit,’ wrote Musk.

IGA, may distribute information/research produced by its respective foreign affiliates within the IG Group of companies pursuant to an arrangement under Regulation 32C of the Financial Advisers Regulations. Where the research is distributed in Singapore to a person who is not an Accredited Investor, Expert Investor or an Institutional Investor, IGA accepts legal responsibility for the contents of the report to such persons only to the extent required by law. Singapore recipients should contact IGA at 6390 5118 for matters arising from, or in connection with the information distributed.

The information/research herein is prepared by IG Asia Pte Ltd (IGA) and its foreign affiliated companies (collectively known as the IG Group) and is intended for general circulation only. It does not take into account the specific investment objectives, financial situation, or particular needs of any particular person. You should take into account your specific investment objectives, financial situation, and particular needs before making a commitment to trade, including seeking advice from an independent financial adviser regarding the suitability of the investment, under a separate engagement, as you deem fit.

No representation or warranty is given as to the accuracy or completeness of this information. Consequently, any person acting on it does so entirely at their own risk. Please see important Research Disclaimer.

Please also note that the information does not contain a record of our trading prices, or an offer of, or solicitation for, a transaction in any financial instrument. Any views and opinions expressed may be changed without an update.

European Central Bank meeting

Learn about how the ECB meeting affects interest rates and price stability ahead of the next announcement.

  • How might the next meeting affect the markets?
  • What are the key rate decisions to watch?
  • Why is the Governing Council announcement important for traders?
Find out more

Live prices on most popular markets

  • Forex
  • Shares
  • Indices

Prices above are subject to our website terms and agreements. Prices are indicative only. All shares prices are delayed by at least 15 mins.

Prices above are subject to our website terms and agreements. Prices are indicative only. All shares prices are delayed by at least 20 mins.

The Momentum Report

Get the week’s momentum report sent directly to your inbox every Tuesday for FREE. The Week Ahead gives you a full calendar of upcoming key events to monitor in the coming week, as well as commentary and insight from our expert analysts on the major indices to watch.

For more info on how we might use your data, see our privacy notice and access policy and privacy webpage.

You might be interested in…

<h3>How much does trading cost?</h3>
<h3>Find out about IG</h3>
<h3>Plan your trading</h3>

Find out what charges your trades could incur with our transparent fee structure.

Discover why so many clients choose us, and what makes us a world-leading provider of CFDs.

Stay on top of upcoming market-moving events with our customisable economic calendar.