GM's competitiveness is not only dependent upon labor costs, but also on the speed of its decision-making, its success in responding to the market appropriately and its ability to identify the growth segments in the market. |
GM's sales have declined year-over-year in nine of the last 12 months, saved only by the employee pricing campaign this summer. |
I think the auto industry and the economy at large are inseparable, |
I think the auto industry and the economy at large are inseparable. An increase in the cost of money is going to slow down big ticket purchases, and it's inevitable that is going to hit auto sales. I think that's what we're beginning to see in May. |
If consumers' desire for large SUVs does not snap back, GM will be launching its new full size SUVs into an unwelcoming market, |
If consumers' desire for large SUVs does not snap back, GM will be launching its new full size SUVs into an unwelcoming market. |
If Ford makes Volvo work, it has the potential to break out of the pack of second-tier automakers, |
If the strike continues through the end of October, the company will lose units of production that it can't replace in this quarter, and that will reduce the earnings outlook. The likelihood is that this strike will be settled soon, in the next three to four days, maybe in week. |
In short, while the negative press will likely hold back the stock near-term, we don't think it will have a lasting impact, and in our view, Ford remains relatively attractive, |
It looks increasingly likely to us that GM will effect some kind of a transaction that will separate these two businesses. These two companies will be worth more apart than they are together. |
It seems that November got off to an excruciatingly slow start, with new incentives programs from Ford and GM just now beginning to boost showroom traffic. |
It's a very deep concern in the near term because there's no question it will be a deterrent to U.S. investors. He was highly respected by institutional investors in the United States. |
It's an example of the best GM can do. The car costs less money to make than the old one. It's faster, handles better, has far better quality and is much more user friendly. |
Its easier for outsiders to be hard-nosed with the former parents of these companies. They're simply less bound by the fairly long, shared history. |
Last year was a terrifically strong month, so it was a difficult comparison. Secondly, a lot of the pent up demand, created by the recession, has been satisfied at this point in the economy's expansion. |