Tesla's flying car showcase delivered the expected "oohs" and "aahs," but a technical analysis published Friday by InvestingLive suggests the stock itself has yet to take flight. Despite the buzz surrounding the vehicle's debut, Tesla shares traded below several key moving averages, leaving sellers with the upper hand. Moving averages — rolling averages of recent closing prices over a set number of hours or days — are among the most widely watched reference levels on traders' charts, and where a stock sits relative to them is often read as a quick gauge of which side controls the trend.

The unveiling of a car capable of brief flight gave Elon Musk another opportunity to demonstrate what his engineers can do. From a marketing perspective, the analysis acknowledged, that is a win for Tesla — it gets people talking. A car that can briefly take flight is going to get attention. The car got off the ground; the question is whether the stock can do the same.

The publication posed a series of business questions, however. How many people need a flying sports car? How much will it cost to develop and produce? Could that money — and engineering talent — be better spent on vehicles that more people can afford and use every day? Will the flying version ever be approved for public use, or is it simply a gimmick? The author quipped about still waiting for the "flux capacitor and the time-machine capability," while conceding that the publicity has value even if the payoff for shareholders is less clear.

Musk had his moment the previous day. At Friday's open, the market got its turn — and the price action helps tell whether the market is buying the idea or selling it. So far, the technical picture is not overly bullish.

At the open, Tesla shares moved higher, reaching $370.58. That high, however, fell just short of the 100-day moving average at $371.13 — a key technical target that buyers tested without success. The price subsequently rotated lower, reaching $360.20, and was last trading near $361.50, down about $1 on the day.

In the process, the stock also moved back below its near-converged 100-hour and 200-hour moving averages at $368.85, giving traders a clear level to watch on any rebound. With those two hourly averages sitting almost on top of one another, $36885 functions as a single, concentrated decision point — and because hourly averages are recalculated with each new price print, that level can shift quickly within a session. According to the analysis, staying below those hourly moving averages keeps sellers in control, while a move back above them would give buyers another opportunity to challenge the 100-day moving average at $371.13. Getting — and staying — above that level would strengthen the bullish case.

So far, however, the 100-day moving average has capped the rally, and the hourly moving averages have given way. In the analyst's view, that does not speak to buyers taking control; it gives sellers more confidence. "Opinions are one thing. The price action defines the risk," the analysis noted.

The publication also weighed the more bullish view that others will embrace — a car that can take flight or accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in less than a second — while questioning where such a vehicle would actually be used, preferably "somewhere without big, fat trees along the side of the road or any cars in sight."

As traders and investors, the analysis argued, the focus needs to return to price. The chart offers a roadmap that defines the risk, the bias and the next targets. Right now, that roadmap shows Tesla:

• Below its 100-hour and 200-hour moving averages near $368.85
• Below its 100-day moving average at $371.13
• Below its 200-day moving average near $388.02

What would get the stock off the ground? Per the analysis, buyers would need to reclaim those moving averages — starting with the hourly levels and holding above them — then move through the 100-day MA and ultimately the 200-day MA near $388, a level widely followed as a long-term trend gauge. Because moving averages are recalculated as new prices print, these reference points will drift with coming sessions rather than stand still.

Until then, the stock remains grounded, and the sellers remain more in control.