NEW YORK — Tesla reported a surprise increase in sales in the third quarter as the electric car maker likely benefited from a rush by consumers to take advantage of a $7,500 credit before it expired on Sept. 30.

The company reported Thursday that sales in the three months through September rose 7% compared to the same period a year ago. The gain follows two quarters of steep declines as people turned off by CEO Elon Musk's foray into right-wing politics avoided buying his company's cars and even protested at some dealerships.

The stock initially rose sharply on the news, but then fell back into losses as financial analysts expressed skepticism whether the new number signals a true turnaround given all the anti-Musk backlash.

“I don’t think most people are any more enamored with Elon now

See Full Page