GM reports lower-than-expected 4Q-Gewinn

Profits at General Motors in the fourth quarter rose by 2 per cent compared with the previous year, but the company fell way short of the expectations of Wall Street.

GM chief financial officer Chuck Stevens CNBC said on Thursday that the higher tax rates about one-third of the Miss result contributed, while restructuring costs made the rest. In an interview of "Squawk Box" he described in the quarter as a "very, very solid results."

GM North American earnings were $913 million, or 57 cents per share. This compares million, or 54 cents per share with $892, in the period a year earlier. Sales rose 3 percent to $40.5 billion.

Excluding the non-recurring effects, GM made 67 cents per share. But analysts surveyed by FactSet expected 88 cents on revenues of $40.8 billion. These elements contain $200 million restructuring costs, largely related to the output of the brand Chevrolet in Europe.

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GM was in the year 22 percent $3.8 billion, or $2.38 per share. Without one-off effects worthy of $3.18 per share.

GM also announced that 48,500 U.S. workers get up to $7,500 in profit-sharing checks.

Shrunken GM, its loss in Europe by more than half to $345 million. Analysts had expected red ink of $399 million. Stevens the automaker said determined to break his target by the middle of the Decade.

"We have really significant traction on the cost side of the business in Europe", he added. "The market... we built for Opel-Vauxhall share for the first time in 14 years."We had improved earnings in the second half of the year."

Stevens said a buildup in inventory cut some bad weather sales cannot be held responsible. North American inventory has grown to 111 days higher than many had expected.

Last month in the "Squawk Box" occurs warned AutoNation Chairman and CEO Mike Jackson automobile manufacturers, to see their stocks.

The GM CFO said that he had a selling rate of 16 million to 16.5 million units for the industry in the year 2014 looks.