U.S. Auto Sales Growth Halts After A Decade-Long Rise, Tesla Sales Surge

Mukesh Buch
03 Apr, 2017
New York City

Apple terminated its contract with the U.K.-based video chip supplier Imagination Technologies. Fiat Chrysler U.S. auto sales in March dropped 5%, Ford sales plummeted 7.2% but General Motors sales increased 1.6%. Tesla first-quarter sales surged 69%.

[R]2:10 PM New York – Apple terminated its contract with the U.K.-based video chip supplier Imagination Technologies. Fiat Chrysler U.S. auto sales in March dropped 5%, Ford sales plummeted 7.2% but General Motors sales increased 1.6%. Tesla first-quarter sales surged 69%.[/R]

Tollbooth Index dropped 60.93 or 0.5% to 11,582.84.

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Apple Inc ((AAPL)) rose 12 cents to $143.78 and the mobile and media devices maker terminated its contract with the U.K.-based graphics and video chip provider Imagination Technologies Group Plc.

Imagination said Apple license fees and royalties, as disclosed in annual report, represented revenue of £60.7 million for the year ending in April 2016 and £65 million in the year ending April 2017.

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV ((FCAU)) declined 5% or 55 cents to $10.38 after the vehicle maker said U.S. auto sales in March dropped 5% to 190,254 vehicles compared to 199,467 vehicles a year ago month.

In the first-quarter, U.S. auto sales slumped 8% to 510,798 vehicles from 558,137 vehicles in the same period a year ago.

Total passenger car sales in the month plunged 14% to 51,432 vehicles while total SUV sales slipped 4% to 87,073 vehicles and total truck and LCV sales dropped 6% to 51,749 vehicles.

Fiat brand sales fell 5% to 2,922 vehicles and RAM pickup vehicles sales jumped 6% to 46,384 units. Dodge brand sales in the month soared 10% to 50,076.

Chrysler brand sales tumbled 33% to 16,969 units and Jeep brand sales plunged 11% to 67,983 units.

Ford Motor Company ((F)) slumped 3% or 35 cents to $11.29 after the automaker reported total U.S. sales in March plummeted 7.2% to 236,250 units and retail sales fell 1.5% to 157,740 units.

In the first-quarter, total sales dropped 4.4% to 617,302 units from 645,626 units in the same period a year ago.

Passenger car sales in the month tumbled 24.2% to 57,244 units while fleet sales plunged 17% to 78,510 vehicles and trucks sales rose 2.5% to 102,381 units while Lincoln unit sales slid 1.4% to 9,554 units.

Ford Escape sales in the month fell 1.4% to 28,113 vehicles but F-Series truck retail sales jumped 10% to 81,330 vehicles from a year ago month.

Fusion sales declined 36.8% to 18,759 vehicles while Fiesta sales surged 20.6% to 5,488 vehicles but Focus sales plunged 22.5% to 14,437 vehicles. Mustang sales plummeted 27.4% to 9,120 vehicles.

Ford’s average transaction prices increased 3.4% to $38,220 from a year ago.

General Motors Company ((GM)) plunged 4.2% or $1.48 to $33.88 after the automaker reported total sales in March increased 1.6% to 256,224 units and retail sales in the month jumped 5% to 203,113 units.

GM said March sales in Chevrolet segment slumped 2.2% to 172,458 units while sales in Cadillac unit fell 1.5% to 12,861 units while sales in Buick segment soared 15.1% to 20,957 units from a year ago month.

The automaker said average transaction prices after sales incentives were $34,000, in line with last year’s first quarter. However, spending as a percentage of average transaction prices declined from approx 14.9% to about 13.5%.

GM’s deliveries to daily rental companies may decline for the third year in a row and inventory in the second-quarter is estimated to be lower than in the first-quarter.

Tesla, Inc., formerly Tesla Motors, Inc ((TSLA)) soared 4.8% or $13.10 to $291.33 after the electric vehicles maker said total deliveries in the first-quarter surged 69% to 25,000 from a year ago period.

In the fourth-quarter, Tesla had forecasted delivery of Model S and Model X units during the first half of 2017 in the range of 47,000 units to 50,000 units.

The electric vehicles maker also set a record production of 25,418 units in the quarter and 4,650 units in transit for a second-quarter delivery to the customers.