But Payout Less Than Expected, Leaving Funds To Fix Europe Ford Motor Co signalled its return to health when it reinstated a dividend payment to shareholders. The dividend was suspended in 2006 as it sought to clear the decks for action to fight the expected recession, and as it was running out of money thanks […]
Archive | Industry Analysis 2011
Fitch Rates Fiat “Negative” But Lex Sees Salvation In America
As Brazil Lags, North America Will Step Into The Breech Fitch Ratings says Fiat might benefit from its tie-up with Chrysler in the medium to long-term, but the Financial Times Lex column sees the link as a life-saver. Fitch, the U.S. bond and credit rating agency, said it awarded Fiat a “negative” outlook, the only […]
Sales Forecasts for Western Europe Under Pressure Again
Relentless Round Of Bad News Spooks Buyers What If There Is A Major Crisis, Not A Smooth Decline? “This base forecast does not, however, assume disorderly defaults in eurozone countries’ debts; if that were to happen, a much more severe drop in the car market would be unavoidable” Another European summit meeting to save the […]
Electric Car Sales Forecast Slashed Nearly In Half
Europe’s Faltering Economy, Engine Improvements Undermine Case Bad News For Renault-Nissan And Its $5.6 Billion Investment “The critical nature of the government credit problems plaguing Europe poses a material threat to the necessary government support for EVs which we had previously taken for granted” Investment bank Morgan Stanley came up with a nasty new Year […]
E.U Renews Action To Force Germany To End VW Takeover Veto
Huge New Fine Would Start If Germany Failed To Comply Again VW was the subject or more legal action, but this one, a revival of the European Union’s action to end the golden share veto, might cause the company to sweat a little more than Suzuki’s. The European Commission doesn’t think Germany implemented its previous […]
Suzuki Wants Court To Force VW To Sell Its Stake
Japanese Move To Force End To Deal Shows Compromise Unlikely “How dare you; you, you “associate”! On a Richter scale of insults, to call someone an “associate” doesn’t register, so why should Suzuki react “theatrically” in the words of VW when the German company referred to its shareholding in the Japanese company as meaning that […]
Working Capital, Finance Might Inhibit Fiat If Crisis Worsens
Global Fiat Auto Profit Still Likely in 2012 Investors Should Take Cover When Ferrari-For-Sale Signs Appear Fiat, like all the mass car manufacturers in Europe except Volkswagen, is fighting an uphill battle for sales, but Citigroup Global Markets has spotted a couple of areas of increasing concern – working capital and finance. Citigroup Global Markets […]
GM Europe Could Lose $600 Million In 2011, $1 Billion In 2012
Banker Says Situation Unsustainable; Sees Losses Through 2016 Possibilities Include Reopening Union Contract, “Contained Bankruptcy” But Others Point To Action Already Taken, Urge It To Hang In There “GM would be better off with a profitable three per cent share of Europe than a loss making eight per cent” GM’s attempt to fix its loss-making […]
Europe’s Car Manufacturers Prepare For Rocky 2012
Production Slashed At Fiat, Sales Projections Under Pressure Elsewhere “There is no doubt that the market will be declining next year in Europe. The only question is how big of a decline” – Ghosn Europe’s car makers are hunkering down to protect themselves from the eurozone financial crisis by slashing production schedules as they face […]
GM Europe Could Lose $600 Million In 2011, $1 Billion In 2012
Banker Says Situation Unsustainable; Sees Losses Through 2016 Possibilities Include Reopening Union Contract, “Contained Bankruptcy” But Others Point To Action Already Taken, Urge It To Hang In There “GM would be better off with a profitable three per cent share of Europe than a loss making eight per cent” GM’s attempt to fix its loss-making […]
