Tag Archives: Jeff Schuster

May US Light Vehicles Sales Forecast Up 20%

“The industry is positioned for another strong month in May as retail sales are estimated to surge 9.6% from a year ago. This positive performance is complemented by a projected 0.7% increase in average transaction prices. As a result, it is anticipated that consumers will spend nearly $47 billion on the purchase of new vehicles in May, showcasing a significant 13% growth from a year ago,” said Thomas King, president of the data and analytics division at J.D. Power. Continue reading

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March US Auto Sales Forecast Up. Q1 to Set Spending Record

“March is shaping up to be yet another positive month for the industry. With retail sales forecasted to be up nearly 2%, along with average transaction prices tracking up 3.5%, consumers are on pace to spend nearly $50 billion this month, an increase of 5.5% from what they spent on new vehicles a year ago,” said Thomas King, president of the data and analytics division at J.D. Power. Continue reading

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US Light Vehicles Sales in January 2023 Weak at 1 Million

The usual problems remain – record high transaction prices, economic uncertainty, the Federal Reserve’s determination to send the economy into a recession via its ongoing interest rate increases, skimpy inventory caused by supply chain disruptions for some major automakers, notably Ford and Toyota – all make for a rerun of the flop show Pandemic Blues. So good luck reopening that show in 2023 with the same cast and plot. Continue reading

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January US Vehicle Sales Up as Transaction Prices Hit Record

The record transaction prices means that buyers are on track to spend nearly $39.9 billion on new vehicles this month, the highest level ever for the month of January, an increase of 2.4% from January 2022 despite the Federal Reserve’s efforts to send the US into a recession. The looming Republican creation of a depression over the deficit, aka Congressional contract hit on America II, remains ominous. Continue reading

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2022 US Light Vehicles Sales Worst Since 2011

However, December posted the highest volumes of 2022, ahead of March by ~26,000 units. The daily selling rate was estimated by LMC as 47,500 units/selling day, compared to 44,900 units/selling day in November. LMC thinks that shows how the annualized selling rate was affected by the historical seasonality rather than the pace of sales necessarily slowing down. According to preliminary estimates, retail sales totaled around 1,057,000 units, unchanged from December 2021, while fleet accounted for approximately 225,000 units, representing 17.6% of the total market. Continue reading

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November US Light Vehicle Sales Up. Uncertainty Remains

General Motors led the market, with a 17.6% share, 2.4 pp ahead of Toyota Group. Stellantis saw the largest YoY decline of the major automakers, down by 13.2% YoY. Honda Group continued to struggle with a -6.1% YoY drop. Continue reading

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November US New Vehicle Sales Forecast Record Consumer Spending of $42.8B. Global Sales Good, but Fluid

New-vehicle transaction prices continue to rise, but slower than earlier this year. The average price in November will set a record for the month of $45,872, an increase of 3.1% from a year ago. The record transaction prices mean that buyers are predicted to spend nearly $42.8 billion on new vehicles this month, the highest level ever for the month of November and a 7.0% increase from November 2021 as the Biden Administration recovery continues. Continue reading

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US October Light Vehicle Sales Grow 11.4% to 1.2 Million

The market viewed by automaker shows that Mercedes-Benz enjoyed the strongest YoY growth in October, with a 53.0% YoY gain. Among higher-volume manufacturers, General Motors showed the strongest growth, up by 51.2% YoY. GM also led the market, with a 17.2% share, 0.9 percentage points (pp) ahead of Toyota Group. Honda Group’s struggles continue with sales down by 16.0% YoY. Stellantis and Ford Motor also saw YoY declines, of 14.0% and 10.2%, respectively. Continue reading

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Record September for US New-Vehicle Spending at $45,622

While there is a great deal of fretting about the Federal Reserve’s monetary tightening, during September, new-vehicle prices remain at the highest levels, with the average transaction price expected to reach $45,622 – a record for September. This is a 6.3% increase from a year ago and the fourth highest of any month on record. The increase in sales volume, coupled with the near record level transaction prices, is resulting in consumers being on track to spend nearly $43.7 billion on new vehicles this month, the highest level ever for the month of September and a 12% increase from September 2021. Continue reading

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US July Sales Forecast Down. Prices, Profits Still Records

Total new-vehicle sales for July 2022, including retail and non-retail transactions, are projected to reach 1,159,700 units, a 5.7% decrease from July 2021. Comparing the sales volume without adjusting for the number of selling days translates to a decrease of 9.2% from 2021. The seasonally adjusted annualized rate (SAAR) for total new-vehicle sales is expected to be 13.7 million units, down 0.9 million units from 2021. Continue reading

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US May Auto Sales – Record Prices as Sales Plunge -29%

“Headwinds continue to stack against a sustained market recovery and stability in vehicle supply. We expect the economy and auto market to remain plagued by volatility for the foreseeable future. Given the elevated risk, it is plausible for 2022 to turn to negative from the 2021 level, with volume down to 14.7 million units. Continue reading

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Good and Bad? January US Light Vehicle Sales Down -3%

Projections for 2020 Global Light Vehicle sales ended at 77.7 million units, down -14% from 2019 and with a stronger recovery than expected initially. LMC maintains that 2021 is poised to continue the recovery, with volume projected at 86.5 million units, up 11% from 2020. AI thinks while the past isn’t a 100% sure predictor of the future, the new – perhaps more virulent strains of the Covid virus, the nationalistic fights over vaccines, the emergence of fascism and sedition in the US,  and stricter and ongoing social controls in most major market are huge risks. Continue reading

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