General Motors' profit soars 89% in second quarter
General Motors reports its sixth consecutive profitable quarter, with earnings of $2.5 billion, or $1.54 a share. Total vehicle sales rose an estimated 17% in the first half of the year and GM has gained almost a full point of market share. By Jerry Hirsch, Los Angeles Times August 4, 2011, 7:33 a.m. General Motors Co.'s profit almost doubled in the second quarter, helped by higher prices for cars and a gain in market share.
GM said it earned $2.5 billion, or $1.54 a share, an 89% gain over the $1.3 billion, or 85 cents, it earned in the same quarter a year earlier.
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Revenue in the three-month period ended June 30 rose almost 19% to $39.4 billion.
"GM's investments in fuel economy, design and quality are paying off around the world, as our global market-share growth and financial results bear out," said Dan Akerson, the automaker's chief executive.
Through the first half of this year, GM has sold more than 1.2 million vehicles, a 17% gain over the same period a year earlier, Edmunds.com estimated. That compares with an industry rate of about 11% year-to-date.
GM has gained almost a full point of market share so far this year, and now accounts for 20% of the U.S. auto market.
"We had a solid quarter, each region posted a profit. Our cash flow was positive," Akerson said.
Akerson credited the large profit in North American operations to "stronger sales of fuel-efficient vehicles across the portfolio."
"GM has had some undeniable success with its small car products in the U.S. Whether by luck or good strategy, the Chevy Cruze has become the second-highest selling compact car in 2011 despite being an all-new nameplate," said Jessica Caldwell, an analyst for Edmunds.com, the auto information company.
The automaker has been helped by experiencing only minor supply and disruption problems from the Japanese earthquake in March. Two of its biggest competitors, Toyota Motor Corp. and Honda Motor Corp., however, had to shut factories in Japan and reduce production at their U.S. plants because of the earthquake and tsunami. Production at those two automakers is only now approaching normal levels.
Still, "the outlook for GM remains positive for the rest of 2011, based on the expected overall recovery in new vehicles sales as well as the seasonality favoring GM's more profitable larger vehicles," said Jesse Toprak, an analyst at auto information company TrueCar.com.
Also on Thursday, GM said it would add a compact luxury sedan, code named ATS, to Cadillac's 2012 lineup. The car will compete with the BMW 3 series sedans and fill a gap in Cadillac's range of models.
In morning trading, GM shares fell 55 cents, or 2%, to $26.65.
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