NEW YORK, Feb 17, 2026, 07:35 EST — Premarket
Tesla (TSLA.O) slipped roughly 1.1% to $413.05 in premarket action Tuesday, pulling back from Monday’s $417.44 close.
Stocks slipped as a holiday-shortened week kicked off, pushing rate bets center stage again. Traders are eyeing the Federal Reserve’s minutes set for Feb. 18, and then an important inflation release two days later.
Nasdaq 100 futures slipped early Tuesday, dragging U.S. stock index futures down, as traders circled back to concerns over how AI could shake up established industries after the holiday break. “AI adoption is an overall positive … but it would change the business models,” said Mohit Kumar, economist at Jefferies. Reuters
Tesla’s software saga took another twist. According to Business Insider, the company has dropped the one-time $8,000 fee for its Full Self-Driving package in the U.S., leaving just the $99 monthly subscription. Musk, quoted in the report, said the subscription price will go up as “capabilities improve.” Business Insider
Full Self-Driving, or FSD, remains a driver-assist feature that requires drivers to stay alert and keep hands on the wheel. The price change carries weight for investors, who’ve been searching for more stable, higher-margin revenue as the auto business grows less predictable.
The market’s response is anything but clear-cut. Shifting to subscriptions might raise recurring revenue down the line; still, there’s a risk—customers used to one-off payments may balk at ongoing fees.
Tesla shares often move more like a fast-growth tech stock, reacting to shifts in bond yields and swings in risk sentiment. On days like this, big-picture forces can quickly overshadow any company-specific headlines.
Bulls might want to pause: switching to monthly fees doesn’t lock in adoption, and regulators are still watching how driver-assist systems get pitched and rolled out.
On Tuesday, traders are zeroing in on the stock’s grip on support levels—and any analyst reaction to the FSD price shift. Premarket action tends to evaporate once cash trading kicks in.
Wednesday brings the Fed minutes, followed by the personal consumption expenditures price index — the central bank’s preferred inflation measure — set for Feb. 20.
