After peaking on Dec. 16, the Nasdaq Composite -- which tracks almost every stock trading on the Nasdaq stock exchange -- has entered into a correction. The index is down around 9% year to date and 13% from its December peak.
Considering the Nasdaq Composite is tech-heavy, it's no surprise that many big-name tech stocks have followed a similar path this year. The "Magnificent Seven," a name given to Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL), Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT), Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA), Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN), Meta Platforms (NASDAQ: META), Alphabet (NASDAQ: GOOG)(NASDAQ: GOOGL), and Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA), are all down year to date, except Meta.
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META data by YCharts.
I don't see a drop in the Magnificent Seven stocks as a time to hit the panic button. They've each experienced similar slumps before, and with enough time, they'll likely experience them again at some point. If anything, I view this as a time when investors can consider going "discount" shopping and begin buying shares on the dip.
I see the appeal in almost every Magnificent Seven and would consider buying the dip on each. The one exception, however, is Tesla stock, which I personally would stay far from right now.
For the remaining six stocks in the Magnificent Seven, there are growth drivers and competitive advantages in their businesses that make buying the dip appealing:
Of course, these are simplified business analyses, but I'm more optimistic about each of their trajectories than Tesla's.
Passenger electric vehicles (EVs) account for most of Tesla's revenue, and a lot of those sales come internationally. Unfortunately, Tesla sales abroad have taken a hit recently. The China, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, and Germany markets all experienced sales drops in recent months.
Not only is the EV market becoming more competitive with international companies releasing their own EVs (such as BYD in China and Volkswagen in Germany), but many of them are also cheaper. With comparable performance in most cases, it's unsurprising that customers are leaning toward the cheaper option.
Tesla's automotive revenue in the fourth quarter of 2024 was around $19.8 billion (down 8% year over year), while its total revenue increased 2% year over year to $25.7 billion. Investors surely expected more from Tesla's revenue, but the 23% drop in its operating income was more alarming, continuing its discouraging path over the past few years.
TSLA Revenue (Quarterly) data by YCharts.
Even after falling by over 42% this year, Tesla remains extremely expensive by most standards. Looking at its price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio, it's definitely the most expensive stock out of the Magnificent Seven -- and it's not even close.
TSLA PE Ratio (Annual) data by YCharts.
It would be hard to justify investing in Tesla while it's this expensive and its earnings growth has stalled. The other Magnificent Seven stocks seem to have much more earnings growth in front of them, and there are fewer questions surrounding their businesses' futures.
When you're investing in Tesla, you're investing in a vision (which isn't inherently bad), but you should proceed with caution when there are so many question marks and the stock is so expensive.
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John Mackey, former CEO of Whole Foods Market, an Amazon subsidiary, is a member of The Motley Fool’s board of directors. Randi Zuckerberg, a former director of market development and spokeswoman for Facebook and sister to Meta Platforms CEO Mark Zuckerberg, is a member of The Motley Fool's board of directors. Suzanne Frey, an executive at Alphabet, is a member of The Motley Fool’s board of directors. Stefon Walters has positions in Apple and Microsoft. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Meta Platforms, Microsoft, Nvidia, and Tesla. The Motley Fool recommends BYD Company and Volkswagen Ag and recommends the following options: long January 2026 $395 calls on Microsoft and short January 2026 $405 calls on Microsoft. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.