Trump tariffs take a $1bn bite out of GM earnings; shares fall
The largest US carmaker by sales said it expects the tariff impact to worsen in the third quarter and stuck to a previous estimate that trade headwinds threaten to hit the bottom line by $4bn (R70,198,998,400) to $5bn (R87,748,748,000). GM said it could take steps to mitigate at least 30% of the impact. Shares fell about 6% in early trading.
The carmaker's revenue in the quarter ended June 30 fell nearly 2% to about $47bn (R824,838,231,200) from a year ago. Its quarterly adjusted earnings per share fell to $2.53 (R44.40) compared with $3.06 (R53,71) a year earlier. Analysts on average expected adjusted profit of $2.44 (R42,82) per share, according to data compiled by LSEG.
GM's adjusted earnings before interest and taxes was among corporations that revised annual guidance due to the impact from US President Donald Trump's tariffs, lowering it to an annual adjusted core profit of between $10bn (R175,501,993,000) and $12.5bn (R219,377,491,250). The company on Tuesday stood by the forecast.
Beyond tariffs, GM's underlying business in the quarter was solid. Sales in the US market – its main profit centre – rose 7%, while the company continued to command strong pricing on its pickup trucks and SUVs. GM swung back to a small profit in China, after losing money there a year before.
Analysts said GM may need to cut investment in future projects or find other ways to trim spending to offset the effect of tariffs. Jeep-maker Stellantis on Monday warned tariffs would significantly affect results in the second half of 2025, and said tariffs cost it about €300m (R6,177,180,000) in the first half of the year.
Shares of rival Ford Motor and US-traded shares of Stellantis fell about 1% on Tuesday morning. The carmaker took steps in recent months to bolster its combustion-engine operations through increased investment in its US factory base, calling into question its goal of ending the production of petrol-powered cars and trucks by 2035.
GM announced in June it would invest $4bn at three US facilities in Michigan, Kansas and Tennessee, including a plan to move production of the Cadillac Escalade and increase output of its two big pickup trucks. It added production of its previously Mexico-produced Chevy Blazer to the Tennessee plant. The carmaker imports about half the vehicles it sells in the US, mainly from Mexico and South Korea. Crosstown rival Ford produces about 80% of its US-sold vehicles domestically.
Car companies are increasingly shifting their focus to bolstering the core lineup of petrol trucks and SUVs as the growth rate of EV sales has slowed. Demand for battery-powered models has slowed after rapid growth earlier this decade.
The trend is intensified by the pending disappearance of government support for the battery-powered models. Sweeping tax and budget legislation approved by the US Congress will eliminate $7,500 (R131,658) tax credits for buying or leasing new electric vehicles and a $4,000 (R70,217) used-EV credit at the end of September.
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