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New York CNN —General Motors is cutting an unspecified number of white-collar jobs globally, part of its announced efforts to slash costs to remain competitive in the shift to electric vehicles. GM has 58,000 salaried US-based staff and 46,000 US unionized hourly workers, making up the majority of its 167,000 employees worldwide. GM has said it will invest $35 billion between now and 2025 in the shift to EVs. Both Ford (F) and GM (GM) face contract negotiations with the United Auto Workers union this fall on new labor deals for their US hourly workers. The union went on strike at GM (GM) for six weeks in 2019 before reaching a deal on its current contract.

☆ General Motors cuts 500 salaried employees
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( Michael Wayland | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

DETROIT – General Motors is cutting hundreds of salaried positions as it follows other major companies, including competitors, in downsizing headcounts to preserve cash and boost profits. The cuts affect about 500 positions, according to a person familiar with the plans, which were announced internally Tuesday. The letter characterized the cuts, which follow performance evaluations, would impact a "small number of global executives and classified employees following our most recent performance calibration." The 500 job cuts make up less than 1% of GM's salaried workforce. Others such as Rivian Automotive also made salaried cuts, while Stellantis said it would idle a plant in Illinois.

☆ Electric vehicle stocks roar back to life in 2023 — Wall Street's favorite plays from here
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( Michelle Fox | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

The average analyst price target calls for at least a 10% gain in the next 12 months, per FactSet. It also has 82% upside to the average analyst price target. Rivian Automotive has a whopping 90% upside to the average analyst price target. Lastly, General Motors has nearly 15% upside to the average analyst price target, with 54% of analysts covering the Cadillac maker rating it a buy. While a majority of the analysts covering the stock rate it a buy, the average price target implies 1% downside.

☆ Tesla just ignited a price war in electric vehicles. Investors should see it as an opportunity
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-06 | by ( Carmen Reinicke | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +11 min

The event may have created a compelling entry point for investors who have been on the sidelines of the long-term shift to electric vehicles. Electric vehicles are becoming much more popular in the U.S. but still make up a small portion of automobiles on the roads. Cutting prices certainly caught the eye of consumers and boosted interest in Tesla vehicles, according to data from Edmunds. And, there are still issues with electric vehicles that make them impractical for large groups of consumers, said Mike Ward, an analyst at The Benchmark Company. There’s also a huge potential in firms that make batteries, key parts of electric vehicles that are also seeing surging share prices.

☆ America isn’t quitting gas guzzlers yet
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-03 | by ( Jonathan Guilford | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Ford missed its profit guidance by $1.1 billion, it said on Thursday night. It was bad enough that boss Jim Farley admitted to leaving “$2 billion in profits on the table” by mismanaging costs and supply. With EV sales under 4% of U.S. volume for both companies, the jump in profit from pricing is coming from combustion-engine sales. Detroit-based peer Ford Motor reported revenue of $44 billion for its fourth quarter on Feb. 2, 9% higher than analyst estimates. However, it recorded $10.4 billion of adjusted operating profit for the full year, below guidance of $11.5 billion.

"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.

☆ Why Friday's market moves are an 'amazing feat' — listen to the 'Homestretch'
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-03 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

HERE IS WHAT I'M GOING TO TALKABOUT TOMORROW, YOU SHOULD SELL. I'M TIRED OF THEM. I'M TIRED OF THE WAY THEY'REHIGH-HANDED WAY OF TELLING YOUEVERYTHING IS GOING WELL. TWO COMPANIES THAT DO WELL WITHA STRONG ECONOMY WE PROBABLYWILL NOT HAVE AS MANY BAD LOANSAS THE BEARS THINK, WELLS FARGOAND MORGAN STANLEY. WE HAD AMAZON THAT WAS BAD, ANDI DON'T KNOW, I'M STILL WORKINGON AMAZON TO TELL YOU THE TRUTHABOUT WHAT TO DO WITH IT.

Suppliers familiar with GM's production plans through 2025 support the notion the automaker continues to slow-walk electric vehicle investment and output while it continues to bank money from its big combustion-engine pickups and SUVs. GM on Tuesday stuck to its plan to produce a total of 400,000 electric vehicles for North America from 2022 through the first half of 2024. GM said it has secured all the battery materials it will need to build 1 million EVs a year in North America by 2025. In the short run, GM's go-slow approach could allow it to side-step the price war that Tesla launched earlier this month. The division has 90,000 reservations for the high-performance Hummer EVs and is sold out into next year, he said.

☆ General Motors doesn’t expect significant U.S. production of EVs until second half of year
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-31 | by ( Michael Wayland | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Barring any supply chain problems, Betts said electric vehicles should be easier and faster to build than traditional vehicles with internal combustion engines for an experienced automaker. Photo by Steve Fecht for General MotorsBut others such as Hyundai Motor and Ford Motor have been ratcheting up production of EVs. Industry leader Tesla also targets to produce 2 million electric vehicles globally this year. Ford, which ranked second in EV sales in the U.S. last year, expects to increase production of its electric Ford F-150 Lightning. GM expects to ramp-up production of the Bolt models, which use older battery technology, to 70,000 vehicles this year, GM has said.

☆ Stocks making the biggest moves midday: GM, McDonald's, UPS, Pulte, International Paper and more
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-31 | by ( Pia Singh | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The company reported an adjusted $2.12 per share on $43.11 billion in revenue. Analysts surveyed by Refinitiv were looking for $1.69 in earnings per share on $40.65 billion in revenue. Smith — Shares skyrocketed 13.7% after the manufacturing company reported earnings of $0.86 per share, beating consensus estimates. UPS also raised its dividend and sanctioned a new $5 billion stock repurchase plan. Pentair — Shares of Pentair surged 9.2% after the water treatment company reported earnings that topped Wall Street estimates for earnings and revenue.

☆ GM smashes expectations and guides toward a strong 2023, despite margin squeeze
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-31 | by ( Michael Wayland | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Shares of GM rallied as much as 9.5% during trading Tuesday before closing at $39.32 a share, up by 8.4%. GM's net income slipped last year, down by less than 1% from full-year 2021 to $9.9 billion, with a profit margin that was off 1.6 percentage points to 6.3%. 2023 guidanceFor 2023, GM expects net income attributable to stockholders of between $8.7 billion and $10.1 billion. It expects adjusted earnings before interest and taxes of $10.5 billion to $12.5 billion and adjusted earnings per share of between $6 and $7. Following recent price cuts for Tesla vehicles and Ford's Mustang Mach-E crossover, Jacobson said GM feels its EVs "are well positioned" with pricing.

☆ Don't expect price cuts on GM's $100,000 electric Hummer, despite EV discounts from Tesla and Ford
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-31 | by ( Alexa St. John | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Tesla spurred an EV price war earlier this month, with price cuts to its most popular models. But GM said Tuesday it won’t make cuts to its electric vehicles. The automaker will not be responding to the latest price cuts from Tesla and Detroit-rival Ford by cutting prices for its own electric cars, chief financial officer Paul Jacobson said on a Tuesday media call ahead of GM's fourth quarter earnings call. Facing weakening demand, Tesla slashed the prices of some of its most popular models earlier this month. GM CEO Mary Barra said Tuesday she is confident the company is well-positioned with its current EV prices.

☆ GM, LG end plans for fourth U.S. battery cell plant as automaker seeks new partner
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-20 | by ( Michael Wayland | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

DETROIT – General Motors and LG Energy Solution have indefinitely shelved plans to build a fourth battery cell plant in the U.S., as talks between the two sides recently ended without an agreement, a person familiar with the plans confirmed to CNBC. The paper, citing unnamed sources familiar with the plans, said GM is in discussions with at least one other battery supplier to proceed with the fourth U.S. battery-cell factory. GM and LG initially announced the joint-venture for a $2.3 billion plant in Ohio in December 2019, followed by other plants near GM operations in Michigan and Tennessee. A spokeswoman for Ultium referred questions to GM and LG Energy, which did not immediately respond for comment. The relationship between GM and LG Energy is crucial to the automaker's future plans for EVs, including topping Tesla and others to become the U.S. leader in all-electric vehicle sales.

GM and the factory workers - who allege illegal termination after the company decided to exit - have been locked in legal battles since 2021. The latest filing signals an escalation in the dispute as workers accuse GM's India unit and its executives, including CEO Mary Barra, of failing to follow court orders. In its earlier court filings, it has said the industrial court acted beyond its power in ordering the compensation. The union disagreed, and said GM continues to "blatantly violate" the industrial court's order by not paying the workers a single cent. After that, GM ceased all operations and moved to close the plant in Maharashtra, but it has not received permission.

☆ Car buying is never going back to normal
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-05 | by ( Alexa St. John | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Supply-chain snarls revealed buyers are willing to wait for the car they want. Changing dynamics mean we're not going backThat doesn't mean everything's going back to normal. Execs at Ford and Stellantis (the Detroit-based parent company of Fiat Chrysler and PSA Group) have expressed similar views in the past few months. Even if they could revert to pre-pandemic inventory and wipe away supply chain issues, car-buyers have adapted to pandemic-induced trends. "The customer orders a vehicle, and then we ship the vehicle to the customer," Farley said in a Q2 earnings call.

☆ Automakers won’t go back to normal
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-04 | by ( Jonathan Guilford | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

NEW YORK, Jan 4 (Reuters Breakingviews) - For U.S. automakers, 2023 is all about trying to stay in their lane. That left 2021 at around 15 million sales; full-year 2022 sales are likely to come in at 13.7 million, according to Cox Automotive. But while supplies may return to normal, the industry might not follow suit. Automakers’ production may not return either, though. Some automakers may want a controlled exit from the pandemic – but getting everyone to play along is another matter.

☆ EV stocks face another turbulent year, but some names are set for big gains, analysts say
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-24 | by ( Alex Harring | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Electric vehicles remain hot Meanwhile, electric vehicles have a tailwind from new legislation. Meanwhile, Cantor Fitzgerald began coverage of Rivian on Dec. 20 with a $30 price target, which marks nearly 57% upside from Friday's close. The average analyst has a target price of $44.88 on the stock, reflecting potential upside of 134%, according to FactSet. Legacy automakers try to catch up Ford and General Motors are trying to gain ground within electric vehicle production. Goldman Sachs' Delaney said the firm currently prefers GM to Ford given its "head start" on electric vehicles.

☆ Electric cars are shredding the brand loyalty automakers have spent decades building up — and it's great news for Kia and Hyundai
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-14 | by ( Nora Naughton | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Ford, Hyundai, and Kia have EVs bringing in the most new customers. GM CEO said 40% of customers purchasing GM EVs are new to the company. Car companies looking to conquest buyers to a brand can end up spending billions of dollars on new ad campaigns and R&D efforts to revamp their image, only to see meager or temporary shifts in loyalty. In remarks to journalists last week, GM CEO Mary Barra said 40% of GM's EV buyers are new to the company. GM is currently playing a long game with EV customers to drum up new loyalty with a call center for all electric vehicle drivers and shoppers.

Car buyers are watching the clock tick down for the Inflation Reduction Act’s updated electric vehicle tax incentives to kick in. If you shop right nowState and federal EV incentives already exist. Their car was built in Tennessee and qualified for the full $7,500 federal tax credit, which they were able to combine with a Massachusetts EV tax exemption of $2,500, effectively knocking $10,000 off the price. Plus, caps on how many vehicles can qualify for existing tax incentives have kept some buyers on the sidelines. If you shop in 2024After next year, the IRA makes an important change to how consumers apply their tax credit.

☆ GM battery plant workers vote to unionize with UAW, a key win for labor as industry shifts to EVs
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( Michael Wayland | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

DETROIT — Workers at a General Motors joint venture battery plant in northeast Ohio overwhelmingly voted in favor of representation with the United Auto Workers, the union said early Friday. The count was 710 votes in support of UAW representation; 16 against; and one was void. "Our entire union welcomes our latest members from Ultium," UAW President Ray Curry said in a release. "As the auto industry transitions to electric vehicles, new workers entering the auto sector at plants like Ultium are thinking about their value and worth. Ultium, in a statement Friday, said it respects "the decision of our Ohio workforce supporting representation by the UAW.

☆ Ohio workers vote to unionize GM, LG battery plant
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The Detroit Three automakers all have battery plants in the works with South Korean partners. The UAW petitioned in October to represent about 900 workers at the Ohio plant after a majority of employees signed cards authorizing the union to represent them. Production began in August at the Ohio plant, the first of at least four planned Ultium U.S. battery factories. GM and LG Energy are considering an Indiana site for a fourth U.S. battery plant. Last week, GM Chief Executive Mary Barra expressed support for unionizing the Ohio plant.

☆ UAW wins key vote to represent Ohio EV battery factory
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( Chris Isidore | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

New York CNN —Workers at the Ultium Cells plant, co-owned by General Motors and Korean giant LG, voted overwhelmingly this week to join the United Auto Workers union. Like Ultium most of those battery plants are joint ventures with battery makers rather than wholly owned by the automakers themselves. That means the workers at those new plants will not be part of the UAW unless they vote to join. So it’s crucial for the UAW to be able to organize these slew of joint venture battery plants popping up nationwide. While GM (GM) is not the sole owner of the plant, its executives welcomed the union in hopes it helps to maintain labor peace with contract talks looming next fall.

☆ GM CEO sees U.S. new-car sales rebounding in 2023
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( Joseph White | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] General Motors CEO Mary Barra speaks to reporters while she waits for the arrival of President Joe Biden at media day of the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Michigan,September 14, 2022. Barra said she expects 2023 U.S. sales of new cars and light trucks to finish at 15 million units. That would be up from an estimated 13.7 million in 2022 and in line with an expected 14.7 million in 2023, according to S&P Global Mobility. "We are seeing strong demand for our vehicles," Barra said, speaking at an Automotive Press Association event in Detroit. Barra said GM is planning “to be very conservative on costs” in its 2023 budgeting, in light of uncertainty about economic growth.

☆ Automakers, South Korea urge U.S. to tap commercial EV tax credit
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-07 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Rivian Automotive (RIVN.O), Hyundai Motor (005380.KS) and Kia Corp (000270.KS) among others want the administration to let consumer vehicle leasing qualify for the commercial EV tax credit that could reduce monthly lease payments. South Korea also asked Treasury not to impose any budget restrictions on commercial vehicle tax credits through 2025. The commercial credit does not have the same sourcing or pricing restrictions but has an "incremental cost" eligibility test that might prove complex. Some automakers want Treasury to make it easier to ensure most commercial light-duty vehicles qualify for $7,500 tax credits. Tesla (TSLA.O)said commercial credits "should apply exclusively for commercial end-users" and the consumer tax credit "should apply exclusively for individual end-users."

☆ Here's what America's top CEOs are saying about a possible recession in 2023
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( Rebecca Picciotto | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Mandel Ngan | AFP | Getty ImagesAs 2023 approaches and the prospect of a recession looms, corporate America is preparing for a slowdown in consumer spending. Here's what they said:Jamie Dimon, JPMorganwatch nowRising interest rates, record inflation, geopolitical pressure and other factors could coalesce into a recession, JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon told CNBC. Mary Barra, GMwatch nowGeneral Motors CEO Mary Barra anticipates economic headwinds next year but is not sounding the alarms for a recession just yet. Though Walmart is still seeing strong spending, McMillon has spotted more conservative spending in certain categories like electronics and toys. "If I didn't watch CNBC in the morning – which I do – the word recession wouldn't be in my vocabulary," Kirby said.

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