Leaders of the United Auto Workers signaled the next step in their campaign to capitalize on the union's success in bargaining with the Detroit Three: launching organizing drives at Toyota, Tesla and other nonunion U.S. auto factories.
Ford reported a 5.3% drop in total U.S. vehicle sales in October against the backdrop of the recent United Auto Workers (UAW) union strike at some of its facilities.
On Oct. 25, the Nasdaq Composite suffered its worst daily decline since Feb. 21, led by a 9.5% slide in Google parent company Alphabet (NASDAQ: GOOG) (NASDAQ: GOOGL), a 5.6% decline in Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN), and declines of over 4% in Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA) and Meta Platforms (NAS
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Amid demand deceleration and rising inventories, the EV sector appears incredibly challenged, seemingly imposing dark clouds over legacy automaker General Motors (
NYSE:GM
) and its electrification ambitions. Nevertheless, for speculators having strong conviction in the space, GM may be the most credible EV manufacturer. It’s probably going to be a wild ride, but I’m cautiously bullish on GM stock.
GM Stock Moves in the Right Direction
For conservative investors, it’s natural to feel jittery about any enterprise related to four-wheeled mobility. Late last year and continuing into 2023, Tesla (
NASDAQ:TSLA
) sparked a sector-wide
price war, slashing the prices of its vehicles. Naturally, the move forced rivals to respond to the battle of attrition. Even so, demand pressures translated to rising EV inventory on dealership lots. Nevertheless, GM stock is fortuitously moving in the right direction.
First, on October 24, TipRanks reporter Shrilekha Pethe noted that General Motors
posted third-quarter earnings per share of $2.28. This figure represented an increase of 1.3% on a year-over-year basis. As well, it beat analysts’ EPS expectations of $1.87. Moreover, the automaker rang up sales of $44.1 billion, rising 5.4% year-over-year and beating the consensus target of $42.5 billion.
Making the print more impressive, GM CFO Paul Jacobson disclosed that the United Auto Workers (UAW) strike – which started in September – will cost the company around $800 million in pre-tax earnings this year. To be sure, the impact forced a downward earnings guidance for Fiscal Year 2023. However, management still anticipates a reduction in fixed costs of $2 billion by 2024.
Adding to the positive news, recently, General Motors recently
reached a tentative deal with the UAW. Although the strike imposed a heavy cost on the auto industry, the outlook should generally be positive for GM stock.
With a key distraction out of the way, the underlying company can now focus on winning the EV battle.
General Motors Smells Blood (and Opportunity) in the Water
Again, the EV sector is no walk in the park. Still, what ultimately might benefit GM stock is that the industry may be entering a more mature phase in the growth cycle. In other words, sector competitors have already picked the low-hanging fruit. Now, the grind begins, which may favor General Motors.
For one thing, Tesla incurred a far different Q3 picture than GM. As TipRanks reporter Vince Condarcuri mentioned, the EV pioneer
missed analysts’ expectations on both the top and bottom lines. In the trailing month, TSLA stock has fallen by 20%, demonstrating the sharp bearish pivot.
Second, and more importantly, GM stock levers the advantage of familiarity and a more accessible product mix. While the Tesla brand may resonate more with millennials, it will take generations for a company like GM to lose its historical trust factor with consumers.
However, even setting aside long-established trust, General Motors provides products that will more likely fit into households’ budgets. Let’s face it: if the average family could easily afford a fully-functional EV (and I'm not talking about electric trikes), inventory wouldn’t be rising at dealerships. With
sky-high gasoline prices, EVs should be flying out the door.
For the higher-end customer, General Motors aims to convert marquee brands like Hummer into electrified versions. As well, the company’s eighth-generation Corvette continues to attract dollars.
GM's Valuation is Too Appealing to Ignore
While arguably all EV-related enterprises face downside pressures due to the strain on the consumer economy, GM stock also happens to be de-risked compared to many of its peers. For example, shares trade at around a 4x trailing earnings multiple. That’s very low compared to the multiples seen in automotive-related segments.
In contrast, TSLA trades at a trailing earnings multiple of roughly 65x. As for other pure-play EV companies, the problem is that most are not profitable. Thus, it’s impossible to conduct an apples-to-apples comparison. However, because of the red ink, that only bolsters the case for GM stock.
Is GM Stock a Buy, According to Analysts?
Turning to Wall Street, GM stock has a Moderate Buy consensus rating based on 10 Buys, six Holds, and one Sell rating. The
average GM stock price target is $44.82, implying 60.1% upside potential.
The Takeaway: GM is the Best in the Ugly Dog Contest
By itself, General Motors wouldn’t necessarily stand out as an exemplary investment, as both the traditional automotive and the EV segments face consumer pressures. Having said that, by comparison, GM stock distinguishes itself via the underlying diverse product mix and brand trust. In a tough ecosystem, these factors may go a long way.
Disclosure
October was a busy month for Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F) as the company reported third-quarter earnings and ended the United Auto Workers strike with a new contract.
In a significant development in the ongoing labor dispute in the American automotive industry, General Motors GM has reportedly reached a tentative agreement with the United Auto Workers (UAW). This marks a significant step toward
Toyota Motor said on Wednesday it is raising the wages of nonunion U.S. factory workers just days after the United Auto Workers union won major pay and benefit hikes from the Detroit Three automakers.
Toyota Motor said Wednesday it is raising the wages of non-union U.S. factory workers just days after the United Auto Workers union won major pay and benefit hikes from the Detroit Three automakers.
U.S. manufacturing contracted sharply in October after showing signs of improvement in prior months as new orders and employment slumped, likely reflecting strikes by the United Auto Workers (UAW) union against Detroit's Big Three car makers.
At Holdings Channel, we have reviewed the latest batch of the 25 most recent 13F filings for the 09/30/2023 reporting period, and noticed that Ford Motor Co. (Symbol: F) was held by 9 of these funds. When hedge fund managers appear to be thinking alike, we find it is a good idea
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Fintel reports that on November 1, 2023, Barclays upgraded their outlook for Ford Motor (NYSE:F) from Equal-Weight to Overweight . Analyst Price Forecast Suggests 39.11% Upside
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The earnings report from Hertz (NASDAQ: HTZ) wouldn't normally break any news for a company like Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA), but that wasn't the case this quarter. It was Hertz that said it missed estimates because costs are higher than expected on Tesla vehicles.
Most global mega-cap stocks continued their slide in October, hit by the rise in U.S. interest rates and lacklustre third-quarter earnings growth among some top U.S. tech firms.
Fintel reports that on October 31, 2023, Morgan Stanley maintained coverage of Ford Motor (NYSE:F) with a Overweight recommendation. Analyst Price Forecast Suggests 52.28% Upside
A group representing major automakers on Tuesday said the industry opposes steelmaker Cleveland-Cliffs' proposed acquisition of U.S. Steel, saying it would increase auto industry costs and slow electric vehicle sales.
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