Vanguard Consumer Discretionary ETF

In the first quarter, Harley-Davidson’s operating income fell 37.3% YoY (year-over-year) to $108 million in its Motorcycles and Related Products segment.

As of March 28, 60% of the analysts covering Honda Motor Company (HMC) have given it “buy” recommendations.

US legacy automaker Ford Motor Company (F) announced its fourth-quarter earnings results after the market closed on January 23.

Last week, General Motors (GM) stock largely traded on a positive note, and it ended the period with a solid 5.6% gain.

In the third quarter, Ferrari reported shipments of about 1,005 car units to the EMEA (Europe, the Middle East, and Africa) segment.

In the first nine months of 2018, Honda’s US sales volume fell 2.0% YoY to 1.21 million units.

According to Reuters, as of September 20, 57% of the 21 analysts covering Honda Motor Company (HMC) have given it “buy” recommendations.

Of the 24 analysts covering Advance Auto Parts (AAP), 54% recommend “buy,” 38% recommend “hold,” and 8% recommend “sell.”

In the second quarter, Ferrari’s shipments to the Americas rose 7% YoY to 850 car units from 797 units in Q2 2017.

When we look at the last three years’ trend in US auto sales, we see a sharp rise in the demand for pickups and utility vehicles.

The US Federal Reserve has a dual mandate of achieving maximum employment and stable prices (TIP) in the economy.

In April, Toyota (TM), the largest Japanese automaker, reported a 4.7% YoY (year-over-year) decrease in its North American sales volume to 192,348 units.

Analyst estimates suggest AZO could report positive year-over-year growth in its Q3 2018 earnings and revenues, but its profit margins might disappoint.

On May 16, Toyota Motor’s (TM) ADR (American depositary receipt) was trading at $137.35.

Toyota Motor’s (TM) vehicle sales in North America fell 1.1% YoY (year-over-year) to 2.8 million units in fiscal 2018.

Toyota Motor Corporation (TM) released its fiscal 2018 (April 1, 2017–March 31, 2018) earnings report today before the market opened.

After North America, EMEA (Europe, the Middle East, and Africa) is the second-largest segment for Fiat Chrysler.

The US goods and services deficit was at $49.0 billion in March, a decrease of $8.8 billion from $57.7 billion in February.

The Bureau of Economic Analysis (or BEA) released its first estimate for 1Q18 real GDP on Friday.

In March 2018, Toyota Motor (TM), the largest Japanese automaker, reported a YoY (year-over-year) rise of 3.5% in its North American sales volumes to 223,000 units.

Non-farm payroll (or NFP) data shows the number of jobs added or lost each month in the United States.

Policy changes announced in the last six months may have led to the increased projection for economic growth.

The Bureau of Economic Analysis released the third and final estimate for 4Q17 GDP, indicating that the economy has improved at an annual rate of 2.9%.

Last week, General Motors (GM) stock settled at $35.17, falling ~7.3% from the previous week, when the stock rose 0.3%.

Advance Auto Parts (AAP) began 2018 on a solid note with 17.4% gains in January 2018.

In its fiscal 3Q18 (which ended December 31, 2018), Toyota’s adjusted earnings rose 97.4% year-over-year to ~315 JPY (or Japanese yen).

In 2017, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCAU) yielded impressive returns of 96.4%.

US NFP (non-farm payroll) data shows the number of jobs lost and added each month in the country.

According to recent data from Reuters, 48% of the 23 analysts covering Fiat Chrysler (FCAU) stock have recommended “buy.”

In February 2018, Toyota (TM), the largest Japanese automaker, reported a 4.5% YoY (year-over-year) increase in its US sales volume, to 182,195 units.

AutoZone stock As we discussed in the first part of this series, AutoZone (AZO) was unable to boost investors’ confidence despite reporting earnings and sales growth in 2Q18. In general, the company has a stable business model, with lower investment requirements to drive growth than the auto manufacturing business. In this part, we’ll see what Wall Street analysts expect […]

As of February 27, WTI (West Texas Intermediate) crude oil futures are trading at $63.01 per barrel.

In January 2018, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles’ (FCAU) total European sales reached ~85,000 vehicle units.

So far in this series, we’ve covered analysts’ estimates for AutoZone’s second-quarter earnings, revenues, and profit margins.

Valuation multiples are commonly used by investors to compare auto companies. These multiples can be used to compare companies that are similar in size or in nature.

As of February 6, General Motors’ (GM) forward EV-to-EBITDA (enterprise value to earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortization) multiple was 7.7x.

The Conference Board CEO Confidence Index was reported to have increased from 59 in the third quarter to 63 in the fourth quarter, which means 63% of the respondents have a positive outlook.

US crude oil futures (DWT) (UCO) contracts for March delivery rose 0.96% to $66.14 per barrel on January 26, 2018.

Comcast’s (CMCSA) revenue grew 8% and 5% in 2016 and 9M17, respectively. The broadcast of the Rio Olympics in 3Q16 drove the 2016 numbers.

Now, let’s explore analysts’ estimates for Harley-Davidson’s margins in 4Q17.

February WTI crude oil futures contracts rose 0.34% to $64.52 per barrel at 12:05 AM EST on January 16, 2018. It’s the highest level since December 2014.

As of December 11, the US Dollar Index was trading at 93.95 with an 8.1% fall in 2017. On January 3, the index posted its highest level since 2003.

The Conference Board CEO Confidence Survey is a quarterly report based on a survey that collects responses from approximately 100 CEOs who represent a variety of industries.

According to analysts’ consensus data, 41% of analysts covering Honda Motor Company (HMC) gave it a “buy” recommendation on October 11.

In fiscal 4Q17, AutoZone opened 99 new commercial programs, which was a decline from 116 new programs opened in fiscal 4Q16.

Fiat Chrysler stock Last week (ended September 8), Fiat Chrysler stock (FCAU) continued to rise and ended the week with a solid 2.8% gain, marking its fourth week of gains. In the previous week, its stock rose 6.8% despite broader market dullness. Fiat Chrysler stock has risen 54.1% in 3Q17. In 2Q17, FCAU’s Wall Street […]

General Motors’ electric vehicles In the previous part, we looked at analysts’ recommendations for Tesla (TSLA). The company started the initial production of its much-awaited Model 3 in July but delivered them only to Tesla employees. To compete with the Model 3 in the electric vehicle segment, mainstream automaker General Motors (GM) launched its all-electric […]

Last week, which ended on August 25, 2017, Fiat Chrysler (FCAU) stock continued to soar and ended the week with handsome gains of about 18.1%.

In July 2017, Volkswagen’s US sales fell 5.8% on a year-over-year (or YoY) basis to 27,091 vehicle units.

As of August 1, WTI (West Texas Intermediate) crude oil futures are trading at $48.78 per barrel.

Strong July consumer confidence and improving economic conditions could be a positive sign for the auto industry.

In the week ended July 28, 2017, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCAU) stock continued to trade on a positive note and rose 1.6% from the previous week’s closing price.

In 2Q17, FCAU’s shipments in Europe rose 8% to about 395,000 vehicle units, up from 367,000 units in 2Q16.

According to the latest data compiled by Reuters, 32% of analysts covering Tesla stock (TSLA) gave it a “buy” recommendation.

In 2Q17, Harley-Davidson’s (HOG) gross profits from the motorcycle and related product segment stood at $607.6 million.

Analysts estimate GM’s 2Q17 revenues to be $40.8 billion, down about 3.7% from its revenues of $42.4 billion in 2Q16.

Lowe’s Companies (LOW) operates 2,129 home improvement and hardware stores in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

In the week ended July 7, 2017, Fiat Chrysler stock (FCAU) turned positive and rose about 4.8% to end the week at $11.09.

On June 28, 2017, WTI (West Texas Intermediate) crude oil futures were trading at $44.74 per barrel. Oil prices have witnessed a fall of ~7.4% in June so far, and they’re fallen 11.6% quarter-to-date.

As of June 27, Toyota (TM) was trading at $104.54 with about 2.8% losses for the month so far.

In the week ended June 23, 2017, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCAU) stock turned positive and rose ~2.2% to end the week at $10.84.

As of June 14, the Dollar Index was trading at 96.9 without any major change on a month-to-date basis.

Total US auto sales in May 2017 stood at ~1.51 million vehicle units, or 0.5% lower than the vehicle units sold in May 2016.

In fiscal 3Q17, AutoZone’s DIY traffic count fell on a YoY (year-over-year) basis.

Ford Motor’s (F) new CEO Jim Hackett is joining the company at a time when US auto sales have been declining for several months.

In the week ended May 19, 2017, Fiat Chrysler stock traded on a negative note and ended the week at $10.50 with a ~3.4% weekly loss.

In the week ending May 12, 2017, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCAU) stock traded on a negative note and ended the week at $10.87 with a loss of ~4.4%.

Toyota Motor’s (TM) vehicle sales in North America stood at 2.8 million units in fiscal 2017 (April 1, 2016, to March 31, 2017), which was similar to sales in the previous fiscal year.

In February 2017, Ferrari (RACE) gave guidance to ship about 8,400 car units globally in fiscal 2017, about 5% higher than in fiscal 2016.

On May 4, 2017, Ferrari’s (RACE) forward EV-to-EBITDA multiple was 15.7x.

In 1Q17, Ferrari’s (RACE) shipments to the Americas rose 4.2% year-over-year to 545 car units from 523 units in 1Q16.

In 1Q17, Fiat Chrysler stock impressed investors by gaining ~19%. But the stock began 2Q17 on a negative note. As of April 13, FCAU has lost 11.3% month-to-date.

In March 2017, Toyota Motor (TM), the largest Japanese automaker, reported a YoY (year-over-year) fall of 2.1% in US sales to 215,224 vehicle units.

US auto sales in March 2017 were 1.55 million units, which was 1.6% below the 1.58 million units sold in March 2016.

In 1Q17, Fiat Chrysler Automobile (FCAU) stock impressed investors by yielding ~19% in returns.

Macao’s unemployment rate was as high as 7% in 2000. Growth in the tourism and gaming industry helped to curb the high rate.

Currently, General Motors’ driverless car testing fleet is the largest in the automotive industry (VCR). General Motors is ahead of its direct US peers.

In February 2017, Ford’s US sales to retail customers dropped 3% YoY to 134,576 vehicle units.

Total auto sales in the US stood at ~1.3 million vehicle units in February 2017. In January 2017, US auto sales stood at ~1.1 million.

Last year, Ford’s operating margins fell primarily in the Asia-Pacific region as well as in the Middle East and Africa.

In January 2017, Ford’s US sales to retail customers rose 6% YoY to 120,400 vehicle units.

In 4Q16, Ford’s (F) revenues from the Middle East and Africa regions fell ~12% YoY to just $0.9 billion due to lower sales volumes.

Fiat Chrysler’s (FCAU) lower shipments in North America in 4Q16 continued to hurt revenues from its largest single market.

On January 19, Tesla posted a link to a recent NHTSA report on its blog. It suggests no involvement of Tesla’ Autopilot system in reported road accidents.

On the day of the announcement, Tesla stock rose to a four-month high and closed at $219.53 with 2.9% gains for the session. The optimism didn’t last long.

Trump’s administration will likely favor companies like Tesla. Improving the US job market is one of Trump’s key agendas.

Nike (NKE) is covered by 34 Wall Street analysts. Among these analysts, 62% recommended a “buy” on the stock, 35% recommended a “hold,” and only 3% recommended a “sell,”

In 2015, GM announced Chevrolet Bolt EV, its first high range all-electric vehicle, whose driving range and the price point are similar to Tesla’s Model 3.

In November 2016, the WTI (West Texas Intermediate) crude oil prices traded on a bullish note after witnessing a 2.9% rise in the previous month.

AZO’s forward PE (price-to-earnings) multiple was 17.3x. That’s much lower than ORLY’s and AAP’s forward PE multiples of 23.6x and 22.7x, respectively.

In the United States, AutoZone added 16 new stores to its network of 5,297 locations in 1Q17. Two stores were relocated.

In this series, we’ll look at the November sales figures of mainstream automakers such as Ford, General Motors (GM), Fiat Chrysler (FCAU), and Toyota (TM). We’ll explore what these figures could mean for investors as we enter the 2016 holiday season.

On June 21, Tesla revealed its intentions to acquire SolarCity. On June 22, Tesla’s stock closed at $196.66 with a massive loss of 10.5% during the session.

If Trump maintains his tough stance, things could get worse for Ford. Any move by Trump to penalize Ford could hurt the company’s small car business.

While Greater China accounted for just 9% of the company’s total shipments, it’s still strategically important for Ferrari due to China’s future growth potential.

In 3Q16, Harley-Davidson’s (HOG) consolidated gross profits stood at $436 million, which is 13.2% lower than the $503 million it saw in 3Q15.

Last Friday, Ford’s stock (F) ended the week on a negative note with a 3.1% loss to close at $11.91 on October 14, 2016.

Ford sold ~204,000 vehicle units in the US in September, which represents a YoY fall of about 8%.

Ford worked to redesign its F-650 and F-750 trucks. In August 2015, the company shifted the truck manufacturing to its Ohio assembly plant from Mexico.

On Friday, Tesla settled at $207.45. Despite the company’s two positive announcements earlier this month, the stock is still trading in negative territory.