Showing posts with label strong. Show all posts
Showing posts with label strong. Show all posts

Friday, November 9, 2012

Car sales strong despite Superstorm sandy

Paul A. Eisenstein, NBC News

Though the industry clearly took a hit, most car manufacturers escaped largely the devastation of the Superstorm Sandy in much better shape than the eastern part of the State.

October great was actually for some manufacturers Volkswagen its best U.S. sales month in almost 40 years, reporting, while General Motors its best October since 2007 to the industry collapse had. However, others felt the pinch, Nissan one of the few year compared to the previous reporting downturn the the Japanese manufacturer clearly the blame on the natural disaster.

Other factors played through in October, including political uncertainty, which some buyers, to delay a trip to the exhibition space led. Other buyers apparently still promoted by improving the economic news, but have.

"It is absolutely a hurt us,", said Nissan General brand manager Al Castignetti, referring to Superstorm sandy and the manufacturer's modest 3.2 percent decline for October.

Like its competitors Nissan had a strong month for me but saw sales begin to slide, as residents of the East Coast began hunkering down for the duration. Now, the manufacturer must the prospect 65 dealers in New Jersey, to New York and Connecticut alone closed because of storm damage or lack of power. The showrooms of Nissan is usually 40 percent sales in the Northeast, a region that 27 percent of the U.S. total volume of manufacturer contributes to.

But Nissan is by no means alone. Kurt McNeil, sales manager at GM, suggested, "Probably half of our dealers in the State of New Jersey still without power are" like he on Thursday with reporters said.

Actually put down during the storm more acute in November - especially with authorities, the warning makes a large part of the reason a week or two fully restore – assume a positive side for the industry could possibly.

Preliminary estimates are that several hundred thousand vehicles were badly damaged or destroyed, and probably need to be replaced. In some cases, whole car dealerships, as well as a great of the taxi fleet in Northern NJ liquidation under water.

"they need to be replaced.", said Ricky Beggs, Vice President of the black book, tracked a service, the vehicle pricing and availability. He expects to see strong demand going forward for the pickups and vans used by contractor and repair to replace crews - with the storm damaged not only vehicles but "because there is demand for services, to repair the damage caused by the storm so someone, a car would now possibly two."

But he also warns that the demand created by the Superstorm have used car prices, which was already at or near record levels almost year-round swimming, as well push prices for new vehicles could.

While Nissan appears most gone in negative territory due to Sandy, that decision makers were firmly in black, from the modest 0.5 percent profit at Ford Motor Co., the 22 percent increase of Volkswagen, the German manufacturer shortly before an October record reported set nearly decades four ago, when it was still the nation dominant import brand.

Other Japanese manufacturers, particularly Toyota and Honda, saw a bit of a slowdown from the torrid pace of the last few months - Honda by 8.8 percent, Toyota 16 percentage-but more about finally have created pent-up demand, by Japan's own natural disaster, the March 2011 leads to earthquakes and tsunami severe inventory shortages for this country's automakers be satisfied.

Chrysler, was enthusiastic on the other side with his 10 percent jump that officials praised company their 31 month of Jahres-Over annual sales gains marked.

GM McNeil was optimistic enough, out there, that even with the short setback by the storm U.S. sales probably meet or exceed the manufacturer's optimistic forecast, about 14.4 million vehicles for all 2012. Meanwhile, Chrysler, said that he expected that total volume reach 14.7 million in the year. Despite of the storm streaming, preliminary data suggest that by October seasonal sales annual rate, or SAAR, adapt in 14.9 million come may.

And probably cut after the storm, that's total sales for the month of somewhere between 1 percent and 3 percent, or 20,000 to more than 30,000, according to an estimate by LMC automotive forecasting company.

"We the losses of recent days will pick" echoed analyst Joe Phillippi, AutoTrends consulting, speaking by phone from his native New Jersey not expected, makes more than two weeks again.

Other factors appear to have come in the game last month. GM McNeil warned that many fleet buyers "wait from this period of political uncertainty before they return to the market."

He referred to the latest increase in U.S. housing starts, on the other hand call, the "a turning point", which is noticed in the automotive industry. Housing and auto sales are usually closely linked. This time, car have led the national recovery - without the "tailwind" of housing. So if the industry is also on the rise, McNeil came to the conclusion, it's even a better reason why "we are confident (automotive industry) have a strong fourth quarter and will grow next year."

Monday, August 13, 2012

July sales strong overall, but Ford and GM film

Kurt McNeil, VP of sales at General Motors, GM July sales figures, with Phil LeBeau of CNBC to discuss.

By Joe Szczesny, NBC News logged-in user
While overall us. Car sales apparently again in July jumped, it was not a good month for two of the big three Detroit automakers. The typical buyer saw Japan's top two producers, on the other hand, the price rise to record levels.

Industry analysts will be followed closely in the next few weeks to see whether the market can maintain the momentum that it had shown in the first half of the year.

The weakest numbers came from General Motors and Ford, both of the reported sales declined in July - although Chrysler a domestic rival 13 percent sales increase compared with the same month a year ago written.

GM reported that its sales fall 6 percent left, it rental cut fleet sales. Ford reported a 4 percent decline, largely due to reduced sales to fleet customers. Both automakers have signalled, deciding to reduce low-profit sales practices, but were significant consequences.

With some automakers still need to wait for, report market share figures for July is not yet available. But for the first six months of the year 2012, GM share slipped to 18.1 percent compared with 19.9 percent in the same period a year earlier. Ford shares Meanwhile fell from 16.9 percent to 15.7 percent.

Among the first of the Japanese automakers report for July, Nissan scored a 16.3 percent increase for July, while Volkswagen posted a 27 percent increase in sales.

A major factor in the market has been a steady reduction in the incentives. At the same time, average selling prices - ATP or the prize which pays typical customer - has increases. Toyota and Honda both records last month, reported TrueCar.com, an authority on car prices, trends and forecasts.

TrueCar estimated that the average purchase price for light vehicles in the United States $30.369 in July 2012, to $487 (1.6 percent) from July 2011 and from $139 (0.5 per cent) from June 2012.

Honda, its ATP however saw 2 percent year compared with the previous year and 0.2 percent as of June 2012 to a record was Toyota's $27.123. by 3 percent for the year and 0.6 percent in June to a record jump $28.074.

"Even if automakers can feel that they are spending, the very low cost of funds and historically high ramps incentives actually creating value resale a lot of noise with less actual dollars spent, enable", said Jesse Toprak, Vice President of market information for TrueCar.com. "Manufacturers increasingly of the financial incentives and pushing financing and leasing programs move," he added.

GM said a bright note in his sales of image the strong result of Cadillac, reported a 21 percent increase in sales for the month. The luxury brand hopes to kick-off a resurgence with two new products: the high line XTS and the ATS, a BMW 3 series competitor.

In July of Chrysler sales gains and the Chrysler brand leader took with him his 28 consecutive month of the year compared to the previous its 35 percent of increase in sales, the biggest percentage increase of any brand of Chrysler Group in July.

"July another solid month for Chrysler Group, as we was again demonstrated our disciplined and methodical approach to growing revenue and profits," said Reid Bigland, President and CEO of the Dodge brand and head of U.S. sales.

The strong sales were informed on Monday that Chrysler had its highest quarterly profit in more than a decade in the second quarter.

Chrysler Group 13 percent increase in revenues was partially by two models, the sales figures for the month July driven: the Chrysler 200 mid-size sedan and the Dodge journey full size crossover. Sales of the award-winning journey to 69 percent the largest percentage increase of any model of the Chrysler Group in July.

VW was the first European to report the automakers eager reveal his continuing positive results in connection with the introduction of an "American-ten" Passat sedan, produced in a new plant in Tennessee.

"Volkswagen demand and enthusiasm for our products with more than 37,000 sold units for the month, which has further been pace of the double-digit sales growth for 2012," said Jonathan Browning, President and CEO of Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. "We are pleased that we consumers to see our strong lineup of award-winning, economical and high-quality vehicles and we expect, that to continue our growth."

What seems to win important impulses from an assortment of new products such as the Infiniti JX the automakers Nissan and Toyota Camry as the best-selling midsize car is the brand new Altima sedan with the intent on ousted.

Paul A. Eisenstein contributed to this report.

Sunday, February 12, 2012

Automakers start year with strong sales

Automakers start year with strong sales
Justin Sullivan / Getty Images


Chrysler and Jeep logos are shown on the exterior of a Chrysler Jeep and Dodge dealership in Vallejo, Calif.


By msnbc.com staff and wire


Car sales zoomed ahead in January, with many automakers reporting solid sales at the start of a year expected to show a steady gain in vehicle purchases.


Chrysler, now privately held and majority owned by Italy’s Fiat, was the notable standout for the month. It posted a 44 percent rise in U.S. auto sales, led by gains for its Jeep brand, while its larger domestic rival General Motors lost ground in a month marked by modest growth.


Chrysler’s sales blew past some analysts’ expectations of a 35 percent increase, demonstrating the remarkable comeback of the smallest U.S. automaker nearly three years after its taxpayer-funded bankruptcy restructuring. It also reported its first full-year profit since 1997.


GM, the largest U.S. automaker, reported a 6 percent drop in U.S. auto sales for the month, while Ford posted sales that were 7 percent higher, spurred by a 60 percent jump in sales of the Focus small car. Japan’s Toyota said its January sales in the U.S. rose 7.5 percent as momentum from the fourth quarter of last year picked up speed.


U.S. auto sales, an early indication of consumer demand each month, are expected to show an overall rise of 6 percent in January. Older cars, which now average a record 11 years old, are helping to boost new car sales as people trade them in after delaying purchases during the economic downturn.


As drivers replace their aging cars, new car sales are expected to grow through at least the start of 2012. At the same time, used vehicle prices have jumped compared to new car prices, which could drive car buyers to purchase a new car over a used one. Ford economist Jenny Lin said low interest rates as well as stable gasoline prices are also supporting vehicle sales.


So far, the annualized sales rate for January, traditionally a tepid month for auto sales, is tracking at 13.8 million vehicles, JP Morgan analyst Himanshu Patel said in a research note. This surpasses the 13.5 million sales rate that analysts had expected and is slightly higher than the nearly 13.6 million sales rate reached in December.


GM was expected to show a decline in sales compared to last January, when the automaker offered consumer incentives to jump-start sales. It has since pulled back from this approach.


“The old days of going blindly after market share are over, and most manufacturers are now concentrating on what really matters, which is profitability,” said Jesse Toprak, TrueCar.com analyst.


GM sales totaled 167,962 vehicles in January. The carmaker predicted that light vehicle sales in 2012 would range from 13.5 million to 14 million.


Some analysts had expected GM to report a 9 percent drop.


“In 2012, we will strengthen our position with more new products, an even better dealership experience and reinforce the disciplined ‘go to market’ strategy that helped us grow profitably in the United States in 2011,” GM’s U.S. sales chief Don Johnson said in a statement.


Volkswagen and Nissan reported sales gains for January. VW sales rose 48 percent to 27,209 vehicles, buoyed by the introduction of its Passat sedan. It was the German automaker’s best sales month in decades. Nissan’s U.S. sales rose 10.4 percent to 79,313.


During a call with reporters, Jonathan Browning, chief executive of VW in America, said U.S. consumer confidence was growing, but not a swift rate.


Reuters contributed to this report.

Sunday, November 13, 2011

Toyota’s profit hit by floods, strong yen

Toyota said Tuesday its quarterly profit tumbled 18.5 percent on plunging sales caused by parts shortages from the tsunami disaster that hit northeastern Japan earlier this year.


Japan’s top automaker said that vehicle sales plunged in the key markets of Japan and North America, but it also said it was making up for some of the losses by strong sales in countries such as India and Indonesia.


Toyota also warned that it faces a new challenge from flooding in Thailand, declining to give a forecast for the full financial year ending March 2012, citing uncertainties stemming from the recent Thai floods which have disrupted supplies of parts and prompted it to cut some car production.


All the Japanese automakers are suffering after the March 11 earthquake and tsunami in Japan that damaged the operations of their key parts suppliers. That meant they made and sold fewer cars than normal.


The Thai floods, which began in July and now threaten central Bangkok, are compounding the production damage. The country is the Southeast Asian base for several automakers. Toyota said production cuts in Japan, which began last month, will continue through Nov. 18.


Also battering Toyota, which makes the Prius hybrid, Camry sedan and Lexus luxury models, is the surging value of the yen.


The automaker’s President Akio Toyoda said earlier this week that the strong yen has reached levels “far beyond what is tolerable,” threatening to make it necessary to move production out of Japan.


He asked the government to do more to prop up the dollar, stressing that manufacturing in Japan could be “destroyed.” Toyota said the unfavorable exchange rate erased 80 billion yen ($1 billion) from its latest quarterly net income.


Toyota was the world’s biggest automaker in annual vehicle sales last year, but it sank to No. 3 in the first half of this year, trailing U.S. rival General Motors and Volkswagen AG of Germany.


Toyota had shown tremendous ability to bounce back after the March disaster, reaching pre-tsunami levels of global production in September, faster than its initial expectation of recovering by the end of this year.


But then the floods in Thailand struck and are expected to cost Toyota tens of thousands of vehicles in lost production.


For the first half spanning April 1 through Sept. 30, Toyota’s profit nose-dived nearly 72 percent to 81.6 billion yen ($1 billion). It had eked out a tiny profit in the April-June first quarter. First-half sales fell 17 percent to 8.01 trillion yen ($103 billion).


The Associated Press contributed to this report.