Category Archives: news analysis

Local and Network TV See Steep Declines as News Sources

Posted on 7 February 2012 by Ken Zino

The long term declines in the number of people getting news from such sources as local TV and network news shows have steepened this year. The number of people gathering campaign news online, which had nearly tripled between 2000 and 2008, has leveled off in 2012. In previous campaigns, declining figures for traditional TV and newspapers as sources were at least partly offset by increasing numbers turning to the internet. Continue reading →

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Aftershocks – Toyota Revenues Drop 10%, Profits Down 57.5%

Posted on 7 February 2012 by Ken Zino

Major factors contributing to the decrease include the negative effects of marketing activities and incentives of ¥120 billion, as well as currency fluctuations of ¥200 billion, both breathtaking demonstrations of leverage effects in the automobile business. Continue reading →

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Chrysler Group Posts a Modest 2011 Profit of $183 Million

Posted on 2 February 2012 by Ken Zino

Chrysler Group earned a profit of $183 million for the full year 2011, up from a net loss of $652 million a year ago. The positive, if small, result came as the Italian owned company paid back a $551 million in debt to taxpayers. Chrysler’s net revenue for the year was $55.0 billion, up 31% from a year ago. Fourth quarter net revenue increased 41% to $15.1 billion, the best quarter since it emerged from a controversial taxpayer financed bankruptcy in 2009. Continue reading →

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Toyota, Honda, and Nissan Post Strong January Auto Sales

Posted on 1 February 2012 by Ken Zino

Toyota was Number Three overall in U.S. sales, and a mere 12,000 vehicles behind Number Two Ford Motor. Toyota truck production in the U.S. – the last to recover from last year’s natural disasters – still has not caught up with demand. When it does – and Toyota’s pickup truck plant in Texas has been working overtime since late last year – Toyota could easily surpass Ford in U.S. sales. Toyota’s luxury division, Lexus, at 12,274 vehicles easily outsold Ford’s moribund Lincoln at 5,221 sales. Lexus production too is still recovering from the Japan earthquake so Ford is facing challenges on two fronts. Continue reading →

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BLS Says U.S. Unionization Rates Unchanged in 2011

Posted on 1 February 2012 by Ken Zino

The data also show that among full-time wage and salary workers, the median weekly earnings of union members were $938, compared to $729 for nonunion workers. Continue reading →

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Ford Motor U.S. Sales Increase 7% in January. Industry up 11%

Posted on 1 February 2012 by Ken Zino

The Ford F-Series, America’s top-selling vehicle for the past 30 years, posted January sales of 38,493 vehicles, representing an 8% gain amid signs that the full size pickup truck market in the U.S. is declining. Here preliminary numbers show that full size trucks now account for only 11% of the total industry. Continue reading →

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Chrysler Group January 2012 U.S. Sales Rise 44%

Posted on 1 February 2012 by Ken Zino

Because of its revived U.S. sales in 2011 Chrysler Group is now earning a greater return in profits at 4% of turnover when compared to owner Fiat’s return of 2.8%, which was down from 2010 given the ongoing Eurozone crisis. Continue reading →

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Japanese Suppliers Yazaki, Denso Plead Guilty of Price Fixing

Posted on 31 January 2012 by Ken Zino

The two-year price fixing sentences would be the longest imprisonment imposed on a foreign national for a Sherman Act antitrust violation. The fine amounts and prison sentences are subject to court approval and the potential influence of the U.S. State Department, which based on previous actions, cares little – if at all – in my opinion about competitive aspects of the U.S. auto industry or its effects on workers and the U.S. economy. In fact it can be argued that since the end of World War Two, State has actively pursued policies that strengthen offshore competitors of U.S. firms at the expense of the U.S. middle class. Continue reading →

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PBGC Says American Airlines Workers Should Worry About Pensions and Medical Care – So Should Taxpayers

Posted on 30 January 2012 by Ken Zino

The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation has called out what it says is misleading statements to American Airlines employees by its management about their pension plans under a bankruptcy reorganization. “American Airlines is telling their workers and retirees not to worry, … Continue reading →

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Pep Boys Sold to The Gores Group for $800 Million

Posted on 30 January 2012 by Ken Zino

The proposed transaction has already interested at least one legal firm trolling for business. Tripp Levy, a securities law firm, immediately put out a notice to investors that there are “potential claims of breaches of fiduciary duty and other violations of state law” against the board of directors of Pep Boys in connection with the sale. There likely will be more such allegations from firms looking to garner legal fees.

However, the agreement does provide for a 45-day “go-shop” period and contains customary closing conditions, including receiving the approval of Pep Boys’ shareholders and all applicable regulatory approvals. A special meeting of Pep Boys’ shareholders will be held following the filing of a definitive proxy statement with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Continue reading →

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Honda at 800,000 Hybrids as Toyota Reaches 400,000 in Europe

Posted on 26 January 2012 by Ken Zino

In the U.S. alone Toyota has 1,000,000 Prius owners. Moreover Toyota has built a substantial environmental reputation as the global leader in hybrid vehicles with sales of Toyota and Lexus hybrids now well over 3,000,000 vehicles.

In spite of clear fuel economy benefits and high U.S. fuel prices, hybrids remain a tiny portion of the U.S. auto market – a little over 2% of sales because mainstream buyers refuse to pay a premium amounting to several thousand dollars over a comparable gasoline-fueled car. Plug in hybrids with expensive lithium ion battery packs will compound the problem. The Prius plug-in coming this year adds another $4,000 to the cost of the standard Prius hybrid. Continue reading →

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Volt Fire Hearings Pits Ideologues versus Engineers

Posted on 26 January 2012 by Ken Zino

In the end how you view this low-voltage Congressional short circuit – with lots of smoke but no fires – depends on how you view Obama Administration actions that used taxpayer-funded subsidies to encourage production of the Volt. These include $151.4 million in stimulus funds for LG Chem, which produces lithium-ion polymer battery cells for the Volt, and $105 million given directly to GM, as well as an end-user federal tax credit of up to $7,500 per Volt purchased. Such subsidies will likely be hotly debated for all industries during the election. Continue reading →

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Nissan to Build $2 Billion Plant In Aguascalientes Mexico

Posted on 25 January 2012 by Ken Zino

The announcement comes as the United Auto Workers union is developing plans to once again try to organize transplants in the United States, where Nissan has two other plants. The UAW has been unsuccessful in previous organizing attempts, and its lack of international alliances with other unions is a decided disadvantage.The lack of exports from UAW organized Detroit Three plants is preventing the creation of middle class jobs in the U.S. – now clearly the issue in the upcoming presidential election. Continue reading →

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U.S. New Auto Sales to Drop in January for Third Month

Posted on 25 January 2012 by Ken Zino

Retail transactions are thought to be the most accurate measurement of underlying consumer demand for new vehicles, so the New Year starts for automakers with mixed results. A weak recovery of some sorts is underway, but auto sales are nowhere near their pre Great Recession levels where the retail SAAR was routinely above 14 million units. Continue reading →

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Toyota Leads Auto Brands in New Consumer Perception Study

Posted on 24 January 2012 by Ken Zino

What this really means to auto marketers is unclear as automakers are facing another tough year in the U.S. as the economy languishes and long-term unemployment remains at record highs not seen since the Great Depression. Preliminary sales data for January indicate another weak month for automakers who are now watching brand reputations level out. Continue reading →

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