Tesla's Stock Blasts Through $1,000: Is It Moon Bound Or In Need Of A Pit Stop?

Tesla, Inc rose nearly 13% on Monday, crossing above $1,000 a share and surpassing a $1 trillion market value.

Earlier in the day, Morgan Stanley raised its price target on the electric vehicle marker to $1,200.

The fuel for the move came Oct. 21 following a bullish reaction to Tesla’s third-quarterearningsprint. Technical traders may have seen the break out coming, however, because Tesla had created a bull flag pattern on the daily chart, with the pole formed on Oct. 15 and Oct. 18 and the flag between Oct. 19 and Oct. 20.

The Tesla Chart:Tesla gapped up over 4% higher on Monday and later in the trading day reached a new all-time high of $1,045 per share before retracing slightly on the daily chart. The closest lower gap between $910 and $944.20, paired with another gap between $843.21 and $849.74 makes it likely Tesla will retrace toward $843 in the future, however, because gaps on charts fill 90% of the time.

The skyrocketing share price was made on far-above-average trading volume, with over 60 million shares exchanging hands compared to the average 10-day volume of 21.46 million. A higher-than-average trading volume indicates there is a high level of trader and investor interest in a stock.

Tesla’s stock is also likely to retrace because on Monday the stock’s relative strength index reached the 90% level. When a stock’s RSI reaches or exceeds 70% it becomes overbought, which is a sell signal for technical traders.

Tesla’s stock has been trading in a fairly consistent uptrend since Aug. 17, making higher highs and higher lows on the daily chart. Tesla’s last higher low was printed on Oct. 21 at the $855.50 mark and as long as the stock doesn’t fall below the level the uptrend will be intact.

Tesla is trading above the eight-day and 21-day exponential moving averages (EMAs), with the eight-day EMA trending above the 21-day, both of which are bullish indicators. The stock is becoming extended from both EMAs, however, and eventually, Tesla will need a period of consolidation to allow the moving averages to catch up.

• Bulls want to see eventual consolidation and for Tesla to print another higher low to develop new support levels. The stock is trading in blue skies and there is no resistance level above outside of Monday’s high-of-day.
• Bears want to see big bearish volume come in and drop Tesla down below $855 to negate the uptrend. Tesla has psychological support at $1000 and price history support at $900 and $877.95.