Tesla shares edged higher in early Friday trading, but have lost nearly have of their value since mid-December, and a top Wall Street analyst suggests there could be more declines ahead tied to weakness in the group's core automaking business.

One reason Tesla investors should sell into the stock’s recent bounce is because of all the “political noise” surrounding Chief Executive Elon Musk, one analyst says.

After weeks of downturns on Tesla J.P. Morgan has lowered its price target on Tesla’s stock. This is mainly because the company thinks that fewer cars will be delivered for the second year in a row. Analysts also say that current and possibly new customers are feeling differently about the electric vehicle maker.

Tesla rebounded Wednesday despite more price target cuts as analysts slash delivery and earnings estimates, citing brand "destruction"