Tesla sees exodus of South Korean retail investors as cryptocurrency’s allure rises


South Korea’s retail investors are losing faith in Tesla’s stock, ramping up their selling last month amid growing disillusionment with the electric carmaker and rising interest in cryptocurrencies.

Individual investors in South Korea sold a net US$657 million of Tesla stock in August, the largest outflow since at least early 2023, according to Bloomberg calculations of depository data.

Investors have instead favoured even more volatile bets such as Bitmine Immersion Technologies, seen as a proxy for Ether, which drew US$253 million of net inflows.

The exodus signalled waning enthusiasm among one of Tesla’s most loyal global retail bases, whose buying sprees once amplified the stock’s rallies.

South Korean traders, who have been long drawn to high-profile US tech companies such as Tesla, are now putting their money elsewhere.

An unsold Model X sports utility vehicle sits outside a Tesla showroom in Littleton, Colorado. Photo: AP
An unsold Model X sports utility vehicle sits outside a Tesla showroom in Littleton, Colorado. Photo: AP
“Tesla used to offer a lot of inspiring narratives, but it has failed to win people’s hearts,” said Han Jungsu, a 33-year-old individual investor who first bought Tesla stock in 2019 but sold out earlier this year to focus on names he sees having more upside. “It has failed to lead with its own AI narrative.”
  • Related Posts

    JD.com posts first quarterly loss in nearly four years as delivery battle takes toll

    Chinese e-commerce giant JD.com reported a 2.7 billion yuan (US$392 million) loss in the fourth quarter and a halving of annual profit amid an ongoing food delivery battle it ignited…

    Continue reading
    China and Hong Kong should relax biotech listing rules, venture capitalist says

    Mainland China and Hong Kong should ease listing rules for biotechnology companies and lower takeover thresholds for listed firms to capitalise on renewed foreign interest in the healthcare sector, venture…

    Continue reading

    Leave a Reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *