Goldman Sachs analyst Mark Delaney lowered the price target for Tesla stock (TSLA), despite his improving view of the overall U.S. auto sector. The top analyst cut the price target from $315 to $285, implying 8% downside from current levels. Delaney also maintained his “Hold” rating on Tesla stock. Meanwhile, he increased his U.S. auto sales forecasts to 15.75 million units for 2025 and 15.50 million units for 2026, up from his prior forecasts of 15.40 million and 15.25 million, respectively.
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Delaney is a five-star analyst on TipRanks, ranking #257 out of 9,871 analysts covered. He boasts a 61% success rate and an average return per rating of 17.90%.
Why Does GS Remain a Hold on TSLA?
Delaney predicts that vehicle sales in the U.S. will moderate in the second half of 2025. He attributes this to the “pre-buying” of automobiles ahead of tariffs. The analyst also forecasts auto prices will rise in the second half of the year, after accounting for the impact of tariffs. At the same time, Tesla’s electric vehicles (EVs) are expected to be more adversely affected by the expiration of the federal EV tax credits on September 30, 2025. President Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill” has proposed ending these tax credits.
Delaney also made price target changes for other American auto companies as part of his broader auto industry update. For instance, he raised the price target for Ford stock (F) from $10 to $11, implying 7.6% downside potential.
Additionally, General Motors (GM) stock saw a more notable price target increase, from $60 to $70 (31.7% upside), with the Buy rating maintained. Rivian (RIVN) also experienced a price cut similar to Tesla, down from $14 to $13 (2.4% downside), while retaining its Hold rating.
Is Tesla Stock a Buy, Hold, or Sell?
A majority of Wall Street analysts share a similar view on Tesla stock as Delaney. On TipRanks, TSLA stock has a Hold consensus rating based on 14 Buys, 13 Holds, and nine Sell ratings. Also, the average Tesla price target of $296.80 implies 4.2% downside potential from current levels. Year-to-date, TSLA stock has lost 23.3%.
