GM reports 1Q profit slumped
#1
05-04-2007, 09:51 AM
GM reports 1Q profit slumped
GM reports 1Q profit slumped, cites GMAC mortgage losses
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Sierra pickup trucks sit in a row at a GMC truck dealership outside Denver. " href="http://www.dailynewstribune.com/content/sites/metrowestdailynews/gm/0/g258258ee16db0b886a1272ad98cc5dea98928109d4ad4f.jp g" rel=lightbox[storyimgs]>
Photo by AP/File[/align]Sierra pickup trucks sit in a row at a GMC truck dealership outside Denver. [/align][/align][/align][/align]By Tom Krisher/Associated Press[/align]Associated Press[/align]Thu May 03, 2007, 02:23 PM EDT [/align][hr]
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DETROIT - [/align]General Motors Corp.'s first-quarter profit fell 90 percent compared with a year ago, citing losses in the home lending operations of its former financial arm.
It was the second consecutive quarterly profit for the nation's largest automaker, which said in Thursday's report it had record vehicle sales worldwide and improvements in its automotive operations in the latest quarter.
But the profit of $62 million, or 11 cents a share, for the January-March period was down from $602 million, or $1.06 per share, a year ago.
Its earnings excluding one-time items fell short of Wall Street expectations and its shares fell nearly 4 percent in midday trading.
The company attributed the year-over-year decline to losses in the residential mortgage business of GMAC Financial Services. GM sold a 51 percent stake in GMAC to private equity investors last year, but still owns a 49 percent stake in the business.
"We were able to expand vehicle sales and improve automotive profitability based on the progress in our turnaround initiatives in North America and Europe and our expansion strategy for key growth markets like China, Russia and South America," Rick Wagoner, GM chairman and chief executive, said in a statement.
"We continue to see progress on the automotive bottom line as we implement the strategies laid out two years ago."
While the automaker's North American performance improved, the company still lost an adjusted $85 million on its core operations, GM said. A year ago, GM reported an adjusted loss of $251 million in North America.
Investors appeared skeptical of GM's performance, sending its stock price down $1.28 to $31.16 in midday trading.
Industry analysts focused on North America, with some questioning whether GM's earnings would continue to be dragged down by GMAC, and whether GM had cut its costs enough.
KeyBanc Capital Markets analyst Brett Hoselton downgraded GM to "Hold" from "Buy" because of the credit deterioration in GMAC's residential mortgage operation. He had rated GM favorably because he anticipated cost savings and better sales from the launch of new pickup trucks.
Lehman Brothers analyst Brian Johnson also questioned his earlier assumption that GM would see improvement from the rollout of new pickups.
"Without substantial labor concessions, meaningful improvements in profitability are unlikely in our view," he said in a note to investors.
GM Chief Financial Officer Fritz Henderson said the company is on track to reduce annual costs by $9 billion this year. But he conceded that more must be done as it heads into national contract negotiations in June with the United Auto Workers union.
"When we look at the results in North America, it's good to see improvement. It's not good to be operating at a small loss, clearly, given where we are in our product cycle," he said. "Frankly, our business is not generating the kind of returns that we expect, and clearly we have to conti
[hr]
Sierra pickup trucks sit in a row at a GMC truck dealership outside Denver. " href="http://www.dailynewstribune.com/content/sites/metrowestdailynews/gm/0/g258258ee16db0b886a1272ad98cc5dea98928109d4ad4f.jp g" rel=lightbox[storyimgs]>
Photo by AP/File[/align]Sierra pickup trucks sit in a row at a GMC truck dealership outside Denver. [/align][/align][/align][/align]By Tom Krisher/Associated Press[/align]Associated Press[/align]Thu May 03, 2007, 02:23 PM EDT [/align][hr]
Story Tools:
Email This | Print This [/align]DETROIT - [/align]General Motors Corp.'s first-quarter profit fell 90 percent compared with a year ago, citing losses in the home lending operations of its former financial arm.
It was the second consecutive quarterly profit for the nation's largest automaker, which said in Thursday's report it had record vehicle sales worldwide and improvements in its automotive operations in the latest quarter.
But the profit of $62 million, or 11 cents a share, for the January-March period was down from $602 million, or $1.06 per share, a year ago.
Its earnings excluding one-time items fell short of Wall Street expectations and its shares fell nearly 4 percent in midday trading.
The company attributed the year-over-year decline to losses in the residential mortgage business of GMAC Financial Services. GM sold a 51 percent stake in GMAC to private equity investors last year, but still owns a 49 percent stake in the business.
"We were able to expand vehicle sales and improve automotive profitability based on the progress in our turnaround initiatives in North America and Europe and our expansion strategy for key growth markets like China, Russia and South America," Rick Wagoner, GM chairman and chief executive, said in a statement.
"We continue to see progress on the automotive bottom line as we implement the strategies laid out two years ago."
While the automaker's North American performance improved, the company still lost an adjusted $85 million on its core operations, GM said. A year ago, GM reported an adjusted loss of $251 million in North America.
Investors appeared skeptical of GM's performance, sending its stock price down $1.28 to $31.16 in midday trading.
Industry analysts focused on North America, with some questioning whether GM's earnings would continue to be dragged down by GMAC, and whether GM had cut its costs enough.
KeyBanc Capital Markets analyst Brett Hoselton downgraded GM to "Hold" from "Buy" because of the credit deterioration in GMAC's residential mortgage operation. He had rated GM favorably because he anticipated cost savings and better sales from the launch of new pickup trucks.
Lehman Brothers analyst Brian Johnson also questioned his earlier assumption that GM would see improvement from the rollout of new pickups.
"Without substantial labor concessions, meaningful improvements in profitability are unlikely in our view," he said in a note to investors.
GM Chief Financial Officer Fritz Henderson said the company is on track to reduce annual costs by $9 billion this year. But he conceded that more must be done as it heads into national contract negotiations in June with the United Auto Workers union.
"When we look at the results in North America, it's good to see improvement. It's not good to be operating at a small loss, clearly, given where we are in our product cycle," he said. "Frankly, our business is not generating the kind of returns that we expect, and clearly we have to conti
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