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☆ Goldman Considers Shrinking Its Consumer Business
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( Annamaria Andriotis | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Goldman Sachs is exploring alternatives while it works to make the specialty lender GreenSky and its credit-card partnerships profitable. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. Chief Executive David Solomon said Tuesday that the bank is “considering strategic alternatives” for its consumer platforms business, which includes the specialty lender GreenSky and credit-card partnerships with Apple Inc. and General Motors Co.Mr. Solomon made the comments while speaking at the bank’s investor day.

☆ GM cutting hundreds of jobs as it looks to reduce costs
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Feb 28 (Reuters) - General Motors Co (GM.N) is cutting hundreds of executive-level and salaried jobs as it looks to cut costs, a person briefed on the matter told Reuters. The global reductions are in the "low hundreds," the person said. GM Chief People Officer Arden Hoffman said in a letter to employees on Tuesday the Detroit automaker is "committed to $2 billion in cost savings in the next two years, which we’ll find by reducing corporate expenses, overhead, and complexity in all our products." The cuts were reported earlier by the Detroit News. Reporting by David Shepardson in Washington and Kannaki Deka; Editing by Chris ReeseOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

The major Detroit pickup truck brands are sitting on growing inventories of unsold vehicles, according to Cox Automotive data provided to Reuters. Inventory levels are over 100 days’ supply for rival Stellantis NV's (STLAM.MI) Ram half-ton and heavy-duty pickups. Stellantis said in a statement it had no downtime planned at any of its North American plants, but constantly reviewed its inventory levels and would make production adjustments as needed. February sales growth was led by a 54% increase in sales to fleet customers, Power and LMC said. Especially for trucks," said Ohio dealer Rhett Ricart, whose Ricart Automotive Group sells Ford and GM trucks at different stores.

☆ Ford halts F-150 EV production for another week after battery fire
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Feb 24 (Reuters) - Ford Motor Co (F.N) will halt production of its electric F-150 Lightning pickup for another week following a battery issue that caused an EV truck to catch fire earlier this month, the U.S. automaker said on Friday. SK On, a South Korean EV battery maker and supplier to Ford, has again started building battery cells at a plant in Georgia. "It will take SK time to ensure they are back to building high-quality cells and to deliver them to the Lightning production line," Ford said in a statement. Last week, the automaker said it will continue to hold already-produced vehicles while it worked through engineering and process updates. The fire incident involving Ford's EV truck happened on Feb. 4, during a pre-delivery quality inspection at its Dearborn, Michigan plant, causing the company to halt production the next day.

1 EV maker worldwide in 2022, but China's BYD (002594.SZ) and others are closing the gap fast, according to a Reuters analysis of global and regional EV sales data provided by EV-volumes.com. In fact, BYD passed Tesla in EV sales last year in the Asia-Pacific region, while the Volkswagen Group (VOWG_p.DE) has been the EV leader in Europe since 2020. Reuters GraphicsThe most significant challenges to Tesla are coming from established automakers and a group of Chinese EV manufacturers. Tesla's vehicles offered features, such as the ability to navigate into a parking space or make rude sounds, that other vehicles lacked. IDRA, the Italian company that builds huge presses to form large one-piece castings that are the building blocks of Tesla vehicles, said it is now getting orders from other automakers.

Musk on Wednesday announced the news with the state's governor, Gavin Newsom, and the Tesla CEO later told CNBC that putting the engineering hub in California means it is "effectively a headquarters of Tesla." Democratic-controlled California, the most populous U.S. state, has more electric vehicles than any other and provided Tesla with tax incentives as it grew. "Given that the Bay Area in California is home to many leading tech companies, it makes sense for Tesla’s engineering headquarters to be located there as a way to attract top talent," said Seth Goldstein, an analyst at Morningstar. The new Tesla engineering headquarters will be in a former Hewlett Packard building in Palo Alto. "This is a poetic transition from the company that founded Silicon Valley to Tesla," Musk said.

☆ Goldman Sachs Steps Back From Bidding for New Credit Card Programs
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( Annamaria Andriotis | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The bank expressed interest in several credit-card programs in recent years. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. is pausing its efforts to acquire new credit-card programs, according to people familiar with the matter. The Wall Street firm recently ended advanced discussions to launch a co-branded credit card for T-Mobile US Inc., these people said. The account was close to becoming Goldman’s third card program, following Apple Inc. and General Motors Co. It would have been T-Mobile’s first credit-card program.

☆ Ford halts F-150 EV production, deliveries after battery fire
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] The Lightning logo is seen on the side of an all-new Ford F-150 Lightning electric pickup truck outside the Ford Motor World Headquarters in Dearborn, Michigan, U.S., April 26, 2022. REUTERS/ Rebecca CookWASHINGTON, Feb 15 (Reuters) - Ford Motor Co (F.N) on Wednesday said the suspension of production of its F-150 Lightning electric vehicle (EV) will last until at least the end of next week after a battery fire involving one of the vehicles earlier in the month. The company said it halted production the next day at its assembly plant in Dearborn. The automaker on Tuesday said it had halted production and deliveries, and on Wednesday gave further details. Ford said it will continue to hold "already-produced vehicles while we work through engineering and process updates."

☆ Factbox: Potential winners and losers from the new U.S. EV charging standards
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

EV CHARGING COMPANIES: Many, including Volkswagen's (VOWG_p.DE) Electrify America, ChargePoint(CHPT.N) and EVGo (EVGO.O), will accelerate the rollout of chargers due to the federal funding. U.S. EV AUTO SECTOR: The rollout of more charging stations will encourage EV adoption in the United States. INTERSTATE HIGHWAY REST STOPS: They could see an influx of investment as companies establish charging stations along heavily traveled routes. TESLA: Under the new charging standards, the White House said EV market leader Tesla (TSLA.O) has agreed to open part of its U.S. charging network to EVs made by rivals. EV CHARGING COMPANIES: While the charging companies get financial support in their expansion efforts, only a handful of the dozen who commented to the Biden administration ahead of Wednesday's announcement said that they could meet the "Buy American" standards under the proposed timelines.

☆ Amazon's Zoox tests robotaxi on public road with employees as passengers
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-13 | by ( Abhirup Roy | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SAN FRANCISCO, Feb 13 (Reuters) - Amazon.com Inc's (AMZN.O) self-driving vehicle unit, Zoox, said on Monday it has successfully tested a robotaxi with employees as passengers on a public road in a move to bring it closer to commercial service for the general public. Ford Motor Co (F.N) and Volkswagen AG (VOWG_p.DE) last fall announced they would shutter their Argo AI self-driving unit and focus on driver-assistance technology that provided more immediate returns. Companies still pursuing development of this technology include General Motors Co's (GM.N) Cruise unit and Alphabet Inc's (GOOGL.O) Waymo. Online retailer Amazon, which has been aggressively expanding into self-driving technology, bought Zoox for $1.3 billion in 2020. Reporting by Abhirup Roy in San Francisco Editing by Ben Klayman and Matthew LewisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Finance Chiefs, Facing Another Year of Persistent Inflation, Prioritize Cost Savings
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( Kristin Broughton | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +6 min

Finance chiefs are pushing their companies to do more with less as they face another year of rising costs. Obviously, we’re dealing with a very unique environment right now with the unprecedented level of cost inflation. But we’re not in that environment right now. Ideally, we can grow as the demand environment hopefully normalizes. And that’s going to give us more optionality as we better understand our demand for AI over time.

☆ BorgWarner sees EV business to grow at least 72% in 2023
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Feb 9 (Reuters) - BorgWarner Inc (BWA.N) said on Thursday it expects sales from its electric vehicle (EV) business to grow at least 72% in 2023 as the U.S. auto supplier increasingly shifts its focus toward EV makers. The company's sales were at $4.1 billion, compared with estimates of $3.90 billion. On an adjusted basis, the company's net income was $1.26 per share, compared with estimates of $1.08 per share. The Michigan-based company also expects net sales in the range of $16.7 billion to $17.5 billion for 2023, compared with estimates of $16.82 billion. It forecast adjusted net earnings of $4.50 to $5.00 per diluted share, compared with expectations of $4.92 per share.

☆ Why Processing Sweden’s Rare-Earth Haul Won’t Be Easy
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( Yusuf Khan | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +4 min

The find is adjacent to the company’s Kiruna iron-ore mine, an operation that would eventually be expanded to extract the rare earths plus phosphorus, a critical mineral for fertilizers. The company said it would take 10 to 15 years to start recovering the rare earths. LKAB facilities in Kiruna, Sweden. Also, LKAB reported that its find has a total rare-earth oxide level of 0.18%, a low level of concentration. U.K.-based Pensana PLC aims to mine rare-earth concentrates in Angola, before separating and processing them in the north of England.

GM told Reuters that it is working to streamline how many unique kinds of chips are in its cars. But it is securing capacity for its suppliers to have the chips made because the overall number of chips is expected to rise. By the end of 2023, almost 18 million vehicles will have been removed from production plans since the chip shortage began, according to Auto Forecast Solutions. The auto chip shortage dramatically changed the way carmakers deal with their chip suppliers, with whom they previously rarely had direct contact. Several auto companies have now created teams and divisions to better secure chip supply and think about the design of digital platforms for cars going forward.

Redwood Materials expects to draw down the first loan tranche later this year, Chief Executive JB Straubel said in an interview. The IRA rules are designed to shift the U.S. battery supply chain away from China, which currently produces 70% of batteries for electric vehicles. EXPANSION PLANSRedwood Materials, founded in 2017 by ex-Tesla executive Straubel, is on a path to become one of the world’s largest recyclers and re-manufacturers of battery materials, including copper, lithium, cobalt and nickel. Redwood Materials said it will supply copper foil from Nevada to Panasonic (6752.T) for battery cells produced at the Nevada Gigafactory that Panasonic jointly operates with Tesla. Redwood Materials has supply agreements with a number of manufacturers, including Ford, Toyota Motor (7203.T) and Volkswagen Group (VOWG_p.DE).

☆ GM Looks to Deepen Mining Ties With Stake in Brazil’s Vale
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( Ben Dummett | Mike Colias | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

General Motors Co. has discussed taking a small stake in Brazilian miner Vale SA’s base metals unit, a business that mines and processes nickel and other metals crucial to building electric vehicle batteries, according to people familiar with the matter. Vale said in December it would consider selling up to a 10% stake in the business, without disclosing a potential sale price. A stake of that size could be valued at as much as $2 billion, according to some of the people.

☆ Yellen touts battery investments in Tennessee after Biden speech
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( David Lawder | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen gives a speech after she visited the House of Slaves (Maison des Esclaves) at Goree Island off the coast of Dakar, Senegal January 21, 2023. "The Inflation Reduction Act is offering meaningful tax credits to spur clean energy investment and production. Importantly, the law deliberately encourages place-based investments," Yellen said in excerpts of remarks for delivery at the Ultium Cells plant. EUROPEAN COMPLAINTSBut European and Asian allies have complained that the Inflation Reduction Act's tax subsidies will pull green investments away from those regions toward the United States. Le Maire also said that U.S. rules on the tax credits, now being finalized by Yellen's staff, should be made available to a "maximum" of European components.

☆ Investments in Indonesia's nickel industry
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Here are some of the major investment deals involving nickel in Indonesia:Jan. 2020: Indonesia bans exports of unprocessed nickel to attract investment in downstream processing. Dec. 2020: Indonesia's investment ministry signs an MOU with LG Energy Solution (373220.KS) on integrated EV battery investment with total investment of $9.8 billion. 2021: Indonesia establishes the Indonesia Battery Corporation (IBC), a joint venture of state owned enterprises to cooperate with foreign investors in developing an EV battery supply chain. Jan. 2022: Indonesia's Investment Ministry signs an MoU with Foxconn (2317.TW), Gogoro Inc, IBC and Indika Energy (INDY.JK) for investment in electric vehicle and battery development. Sept 2022: Vale Indonesia signs an agreement with Zhejiang Huayou to build a second plant to produce nickel MHP with 60,000 tonnes capacity.

"We're going to see in 2023, there is still going to be volatility around chips," Ford Chief Financial Officer John Lawler said on Thursday. By the end of 2023, almost 18 million vehicles will have been removed from production plans since the chip shortage started, according to Auto Forecast Solutions. Japan's Denso Corp (6902.T), a leading supplier to Toyota Motor Corp (7203.T), on Friday slashed its annual profit forecast and warned the chip shortage could cause auto production cuts. Toyota in November cut its vehicle production projection for the current financial year through March due to the chip shortage. The head of another auto supplier, Aptiv Plc (APTV.N), which makes advanced driver assistance systems, vehicle computers and high-voltage cabling, said the impact of the chip shortage is not evenly felt.

☆ Honda to start producing new hydrogen fuel cell system co-developed with GM
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

TOKYO, Feb 2 (Reuters) - Japan's Honda Motor Co (7267.T) said it will start producing a new hydrogen fuel cell system jointly developed with General Motors Co (GM.N) this year and gradually step up sales this decade, in a bid to expand its hydrogen business. The Japanese carmaker is seeking to expand the use of its new system not only for its own fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs), but also commercial vehicles such as heavy trucks, as stationary power stations and in construction machinery. Honda will start production of the hydrogen fuel cell system through its joint venture with GM this year, Honda senior managing executive director Shinji Aoyama told reporters during a company event in Tokyo. With the "next-generation" system, the company aims to more than double durability compared with its older fuel cell system and to bring costs down by two-thirds. That would likely lead to a divergence in trucks using batteries and those running on fuel cells, he added.

Ford blamed chip shortages and other supply chain issues and production "instabilities" that raised costs, along with lower-than-expected volumes. Ford shares dropped more than 6% in after-market trading. Lawler said Ford faces $5 billion in higher costs this year, but has kept the mid-range of its profit guidance flat with 2022. Ford expects full-year adjusted pretax earnings of $9 billion to $11 billion. Adjusted pretax earnings were $2.6 billion, compared with $2.0 billion last year.

REUTERS/Phil NobleCOVENTRY, England, Feb 1 (Reuters) - Developing fully autonomous vehicles (AVs) that can go everywhere has proven harder and more expensive than expected, but investors are continuing to fund startups that target simpler self-driving vehicle solutions far removed from pedestrians and other vehicles operated by unpredictable humans. Earlier promises made by robotaxi companies of operating fleets of vehicles by the early 2020s have fallen well short. BMW iVentures has also invested in AV truck technology firm Kodiak Robotics, which managing partner Sage said has adopted a simpler approach to areas like mapping. Construction and agricultural equipment - used off-road in low-traffic environments - has been another growth area for AV startups. U.S. agricultural equipment maker AGCO Corp (AGCO.N), for instance, is using the Palo Alto, California-based startup's software for an experimental automated electric planter.

☆ GM’s Fourth-Quarter Profit Soared as Supply-Chain Problems Eased
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-31 | by ( Mike Colias | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

An new Corvette showed at the North American International Auto Show last year. General Motors Co. reported a 15% rise in fourth-quarter net income, as vehicle output rebounded from supply-chain troubles and pricing held strong despite mounting consumer pressures. GM said strong results in North America helped offset weakness in China to lift its net profit during the October-to-December period to $2 billion, from $1.7 billion a year earlier. One-time losses from an exit of some Russian operations and payments to buy out some U.S. Buick dealerships cut more than $1 billion from the bottom line.

☆ GM reports higher quarterly profit, expects strong earnings in 2023
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

REUTERS/Aly SongDETROIT, Jan 31 (Reuters) - General Motors Co (GM.N) on Tuesday reported a higher quarterly net income for the fourth quarter, and forecast stronger-than-expected earnings in 2023, sending its shares up over 5% in premarket trading. The company expects its core auto operations to perform at a consistently strong level in 2023, with full-year net income attributable to stockholders of $8.7 billion-$10.1 billion, adjusted EBIT of $10.5 billion-$12.5 billion, and diluted and adjusted earnings per share of $6.00-$7.00. The company expects adjusted automotive free cash flow of $5.0 billion to $7.0 billion in 2023, with net automotive cash from operating activities of $16.0 billion to $20.0 billion. EBIT-adjusted income of $3.8 billion topped the year-earlier $2.8 billion, as higher prices and increased sales volume in North America more than offset higher costs. Diluted adjusted earnings per share of $2.12 in the quarter compared with $1.99 a year earlier.

☆ Morning Bid: Fed games
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-31 | by ( Stephen Culp | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Feb 1 (Reuters) - A look at the day ahead in markets from Stephen Culp, New York stock market reporter. Asian stocks are primed for a green Wednesday on the heels of a broad rally on Wall Street, as a slew of economic data suggested the Federal Reserve's restrictive monetary policy is working as directed. Risk appetite was largely fueled by economic data, specifically the Employment Cost Index (ECI) which decelerated in the fourth quarter to its slowest growth in a year - yet another sign that decades-high inflation is beginning to cool. This is welcome news for the Fed, which is expected to punctuate its two-day monetary policy meeting on Wednesday with a 25 basis point hike to the Fed funds target rate, its latest salvo in its battle against inflation. On Wednesday, market participants will digest factory and labor market data and parse the Fed's statement and Chairman Jerome Powell's remarks at the subsequent press conference.

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