Tesla was the worst performing stock in the Cheddar 50 Wednesday, falling more than 7 percent to its lowest level in more than a year.
Shares of the electric automaker were plagued by a downgrade by Moody’s, a crash investigation, and a backlogged production line.
“All those things combined with a skittish technology market...is really weighing on the shares,” explained Efraim Levy, and analyst at CFRA.
On Tuesday, the National Transportation Safety Board announced it is opening an investigation into a fatal car crash involving a Tesla in California last week.
The company hasn’t been able to provide many details about what happened and is still “unclear if automated control system was active at time of crash.” This would be Tesla’s second NTSB investigation in as many years.
Also on Tuesday, Moody’s downgraded Tesla’s credit rating because of a “significant shortfall in the production rate of the company’s Model 3 electric vehicle,” the agency said in a release. This delay may then force the company to seek out extra funding.
However, some experts and investors remain bullish on the carmaker’s long term outlook.
CFRA maintains its hold position on the shares.
“Ultimately, the direction that we’re going is more electrification,” said Levy.
“I would never bet against Elon Musk’s ability to raise capital,” said Frederic Lambert, Editor-in-chief of Electrek. “Historically, he’s been very consistent on that front.”
For the full interview, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/cfras-efraim-levy-explains-why-he-maintains-hold-opinion-on-tesla).
Healthcare workforce management platform ShiftMed
recently announced a $45 million funding round.
The company's platform connects nurses and healthcare professionals to hospitals and other healthcare providers.
ShiftMed's new funding comes amid widespread labor shortages in the healthcare sector. The company's CEO Todd Walrath joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
With only two days left until Christmas, last-minute shoppers are facing major issues caused by supply chain shortages and the rising omicron variant. Kristen Gall, president of Rakuten Rewards, joins Cheddar News to discuss.
Supply chain issues have become one of the biggest roadblocks for the U.S. EV market, with production woes likely to stunt the industry's growth in 2022. Rich Steinberg, electric vehicle expert and industry advisor, told Cheddar that the Biden administration investing in domestic mining for essential minerals used in battery manufacturing — such as lithium — could help alleviate the bottlenecks. "Some of those same materials are available domestically, they just haven't been prioritized," he said, noting the paradox between green tech and "dirty" mining. "The good news is that there are ways to extract those materials cleanly."
California-based startup Indi EV is gearing up to release its first crossover vehicle incorporating a supercomputer that will allow, among other things, gaming. Andre Hudson, head of design at Indi EV, joined Cheddar to talk about the launch of the Indi One and how the company is distinguishing itself from leaders in the EV space like Tesla. He also talked about the tech behind the Indi One and noted that the car's computer system will enable people to run applications and even create their own. "As a company, we fundamentally saw a major disconnect between how people transition into their cars using the digital devices in their life," Hudson said
Cheddar is looking back at the 12 biggest buzzwords of the year leading up to Christmas. The term for Day 12 is Web3. Definition: (noun) Also known as Web 3.0, a version of the internet where data is decentralized and based on peer-to-peer technologies.
Hyperfine, the pioneer of the very first FDA-approved portable MRI device, made its public debut on the Nasdaq via a SPAC merger. CEO Dave Scott joined Cheddar's "Opening Bell" to discuss the IPO launch, the company's valuation at $580 million, and the impact of its machine called Swoop. "We can roll an MRI system, our MRI Swoop system, right into the room where you are, right up to your patient bedside, and scan you right there and get an image in less than an hour," he explained.
Social media platform TikTok was the most visited website in 2021, topping Google, Facebook, Microsoft, and Apple, according to IT security company Cloudflare.
