Tesla Inc.'s Chinese operations are struggling to pump out cars because of coronavirus shutdowns, and its new plants in Austin, Texas, and Berlin face long production ramp-ups. The automaker is also under fresh regulatory scrutiny over its driver-assistance software, and its stock price has fallen far further than equities markets overall.
CEO Elon Musk, meanwhile, has been posting his thoughts about a variety of topics on Twitter while pushing to take control of the social media platform.
Among his tweets last week, he observed that "politics is a sadness generator," that "assault rifles should at minimum require a special permit" and that "Italy will have no people" if falling birthrates continue there.
While Musk has long used Twitter to talk about his multiple companies, the prospect of him becoming Twitter's interim CEO and injecting himself into thorny political and social issues has analysts worried about his auto company's financial performance.