Tesla Inc. Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk caught many employees by surprise with his announcement last week that the electric-car maker would close most stores and shift to online-only sales, according to three people familiar with the matter.
Many sales personnel first found out about the decision when Tesla published a public blog post Thursday afternoon, said the people, who asked not to be identified discussing sensitive matters. A Barclays analyst added to a chorus of concerns raised by some investors also caught off guard by the move by cutting his price target on the stock Tuesday.
