5 Investors Betting Big on Tesla (TSLA) Stock Right Now

Shares of Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) stock are in the green today against the backdrop of China-made sales and an uptick in the overall market. The China Passenger Car Association (CPCA) reported that the electric vehicle (EV) company sold 74,402 China-made vehicles last month, up 12.6% quarter over quarter and 31.65% year over year.

Tesla had initially disclosed that it would plan on operating its Shanghai plant at a rate of 20,000 vehicles per week during February and March. The new CPCA data shows that the company was “still running short of the pace seen in the fourth quarter, indicating the bump from discounted prices in its biggest overseas market is fading.”

At the same time, Tesla’s market share in China’s new energy vehicle sector dropped to 9%, compared to 10% a year ago. Chinese automaker BYD (OTCMKTS:BYDDY) seems to be partially responsible for the drop, as it reported selling 191,664 vehicles last month, increasing its Chinese market share to 37% from 27%.

Earlier this week, Tesla held its investor day event, or “Master Plan Part 3.” The company surprised investors by announcing that it would create a permanent magnet motor that would cease to use rare earth metals. The motor will be included in Tesla’s next drive unit for its next-generation vehicle. Rare earth metal stocks, like MP Materials (NYSE:MP), plunged lower following the announcement.

5 Investors Betting Big on TSLA Stock

Tracking institutional ownership is important, as these large investors provide liquidity and support for stocks. During Q4, 2,362 13F filers disclosed a stake in TSLA, a significant decline of 281 filers from the prior quarter. This decline may have partially been attributed to CEO Elon Musk’s acquisition of Twitter, which shareholders may have characterized as a distraction. Meanwhile, the institutional put/call ratio sits at 0.79, down from 1.02. That’s equivalent to 295.14 million puts and 375.89 million calls, implying a bullish options stance. With that in mind, let’s take a look at the top five shareholders of Tesla:

CEO Elon Musk: 716.02 million shares. Musk’s position consists of 412.05 million shares of common stock and options to purchase 303.97 million shares of common stock. The options are exercisable within 60 days of Dec. 31.

Vanguard: 217.85 million shares. Vanguard acquired 4.83 million shares during Q4.

BlackRock (NYSE:BLK): 177.73 million shares. BlackRock acquired 5.87 million shares during Q4.

State Street (NYSE:STT): 99.64 million shares. State Street acquired 4.28 million shares during Q4.

Geode Capital Management: 49.1 million shares. Geode acquired 1.61 million shares during Q4.

On the date of publication, Eddie Pan did not hold (either directly or indirectly) any positions in the securities mentioned in this article. The opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer, subject to the InvestorPlace.com Publishing Guidelines. 

Eddie Pan specializes in institutional investments and insider activity. He writes for InvestorPlace’s Today’s Market team, which centers on the latest news involving popular stocks.

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