The shares of General Motors Co (NYSE:GM) are up 1.2% in premarket trading after Deutsche Bank upgraded the stock to “buy” from “hold” and raised its price target to $60 from $56. The firm noted GM’s downside potential under a second Trump administration is already factored into its price, leaving room for “positive surprises.” Additionally, the analyst in question expects the auto giant to announce additional stock buybacks once its current authorization is completed.General Motors stock boasts a solid 47. ...

Heading into 2023, Warren Buffett-led Berkshire Hathaway's (BRK.A 1.42%) (BRK.B 1.11%) had a substantial investment in General Motors (GM -1.68%). According to Berkshire's SEC filings, the conglomerate owned 50 million shares of GM at the beginning of that year, worth about $1.7 billion at the time.Throughout 2023, Buffett unloaded all of Berkshire's General Motors stock. However, I think he made the wrong decision. Not only is General Motors up by more than 55% since the end of the quarter when Berkshire s ...

Two of the worst-performing stocks in the retail sector over the past year have been Dollar General (DG -1.18%) and Five Below (FIVE -2.36%), with both stocks' value cut in half over the past 12 months, as of this writing.While both retail concepts revolve around selling cheap goods, their core demographics and the problems they have been facing are quite different. With that in mind, let's examine which stock might be the better rebound candidate in 2025.Getting squishedDollar General's recent issues have ...

In this articleSTLAGMSTZGOOS-CAMATCustomers shop for food at a grocery store on Jan. 15, 2025 in Chicago, Illinois. Scott Olson | Getty ImagesMany of the items that U.S. shoppers browse and buy in retailers' aisles come from far-away factories or farms — a reality that could soon force many consumers to change their buying habits.Sneakers, T-shirts, beer and other common household items are often made in countries like China, Mexico and Canada before they wind their way to a big-box retailer, grocer or mall ...

Core Insights - The Chinese automotive market, once a lucrative opportunity for foreign automakers, has become increasingly challenging due to rising domestic brands and a price war in the electric vehicle (EV) sector [2][3][4] Industry Overview - The Chinese government heavily subsidized the EV industry, leading to a surge in affordable domestic EVs, which has intensified competition and created a brutal price war [3][4] - As of July, new-energy vehicles accounted for over 50% of China's automotive market, highlighting the dominance of domestic brands [4] Company Performance - General Motors (GM) has experienced a significant decline in profits and market share in China, losing money for three consecutive quarters and projected to lose money for the full year [2][7][9] - Despite the challenges, GM reported a sales increase of over 40% in the fourth quarter compared to the previous year, indicating a potential turnaround, although it still faced a full-year sales decline of 14% [8][10] - GM plans to record over $5 billion in noncash charges related to its joint ventures in China, which will impact net income but not adjusted earnings before interest and taxes [9] Analyst Perspectives - Some analysts suggest that the Big Three automakers may need to exit the Chinese market due to the intense competition and financial losses [6] - Investors are advised to closely monitor GM's fourth-quarter results in China and the overall market dynamics throughout 2025 [10]

Core Points - General Motors (GM) and its subsidiary OnStar will be prohibited from sharing drivers' precise geolocation and driving behavior data with consumer reporting agencies for five years as part of a settlement with the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) [1] - The settlement addresses privacy concerns related to GM's discontinued Smart Driver program, which allegedly collected and sold private data from millions of vehicles without proper consumer notification or consent [2] - The FTC's action also targets issues with GM's OnStar service, which was marketed as an emergency aid and navigation tool, claiming that the enrollment process was unclear and led customers to unknowingly share sensitive location data [3] - FTC Chair Lina Khan stated that GM monitored and sold precise geolocation data and driver behavior information, sometimes as frequently as every three seconds, emphasizing the FTC's role in safeguarding consumer privacy [4] - GM has indicated that it has already taken steps to enhance consumer privacy, including discontinuing the Smart Driver program and ending relationships with third-party data brokers, and acknowledges that the FTC consent order includes new measures that exceed existing laws [5]

Industry Impact - The U.S. property & casualty industry is expected to face significant losses due to recent wildfires in Los Angeles [1] - Estimated effective losses from the wildfires are uncertain, with current estimates ranging from $20 billion to $30 billion in potentially insured losses [1]

Investigation Overview - US auto safety regulators have opened an investigation into General Motors vehicles equipped with certain V8 engines, including the best-selling Silverado, due to complaints of engines seizing up without warning [1] - The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) is investigating an estimated 877,710 vehicles after receiving 39 complaints from users of GM vehicles equipped with L87 V8 engines [1] Safety Concerns - Complainants reported no detectability prior to engine failure, which increases the risk of crashes resulting in injury and/or property damage [2] - A bearing failure can cause the engine to seize or a breaching of the engine block by a connecting rod [2] Affected Vehicles - The preliminary investigation includes the following models: 2019-2024 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, 2021-2024 Chevrolet Tahoe, 2021-2024 Chevrolet Suburban, 2019-2024 GMC Sierra 1500, 2021-2024 GMC Yukon, 2021-2024 GMC Yukon XL, 2021-2024 Cadillac Escalade, and 2021-2024 Cadillac Escalade ESV [3] Market Performance - General Motors was the US leader in 2024 auto sales, posting a 4.3% increase in sales for the year, its best performance since 2019 [5] - The Silverado pickup truck was the second-best selling vehicle in the US last year [4][5]

Core Insights - General Motors (GM) is enhancing its supply chain to support electric vehicle (EV) production through strategic partnerships and investments [1][2] - The company is positioned to lead the transition to sustainable transportation, with a focus on securing raw materials and manufacturing capabilities [2][3] Supply Chain and Strategic Alliances - GM has established a multi-billion-dollar deal with Norway-based Vianode for a steady supply of anode materials, emphasizing a localized and sustainable battery supply chain [4] - The joint venture with Lithium Americas for the Thacker Pass lithium project, with a $625 million investment for a 38% stake, highlights GM's commitment to securing critical raw materials [5] - Long-term agreements with LG Chemical, POSCO Chemical, and Livent ensure a consistent supply of essential battery materials [6] Market Position and Sales Performance - GM is the top-selling automaker in the U.S., with 2.7 million vehicles sold in 2024, a 4.3% increase year-over-year [8] - In the EV segment, GM secured the second position in U.S. battery electric vehicle (BEV) sales in 2024, with 114,000 units sold, reflecting a 50% increase from 2023 [9] Financial Strength and Cost Management - GM's $2 billion cost-reduction program is expected to be completed by the end of 2024, contributing to its financial resilience [10] - The company reported $40.2 billion in total automotive liquidity as of September 30, 2024, including $23.7 billion in cash, positioning it well against macroeconomic challenges [10] Shareholder Value and Stock Performance - GM's share buyback program, including $1 billion in repurchases last quarter, demonstrates management's confidence and commitment to enhancing shareholder value [11] - The stock has surged 50% over the past year and is trading above its 200-day moving average, indicating bullish sentiment [12][15] - GM's forward price-to-earnings ratio of 4.82 suggests significant upside potential for value investors [17] Future Outlook - GM's strong market presence, cost management, and commitment to electrification position it for sustained success, with a Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2025 EPS implying year-over-year growth of 4% [19] - The upward revision of the EPS estimate by 14 cents in the past 60 days signals optimism for the company's future performance [19]

Group 1: Agreement Details - General Motors has entered into a multimillion-dollar agreement with Norwegian battery supplier Vianode to secure synthetic graphite anode materials starting in 2027, running through 2033 [1] - Vianode will establish production facilities in North America, with operations expected to begin in 2027 [3] - The agreement may extend to other GM joint ventures in the future [1] Group 2: Sustainability and Production - Vianode produces synthetic anode graphite with a carbon dioxide footprint 90% lower than conventional methods, aligning with GM's strategy for a sustainable battery supply chain [2] - The planned North American plant aims to produce approximately 80,000 tons of synthetic graphite annually by 2030, enough to support the manufacturing of around 1.5 million electric vehicles [4] Group 3: Market Context - Anode graphite accounts for the largest share of a lithium-ion battery's weight and is primarily sourced from China, which dominates 95% of the global supply [2] - GM selected Vianode after a rigorous multi-year qualification process, evaluating materials produced at Vianode's pilot plant in Norway [3]