General Motors (GM) Q4 Earnings & Revenues Beat Estimates

General Motors Company (NYSE:GM) reported adjusted earnings of $1.43 per share in fourth-quarter 2018, down 13.3% from the prior-year quarter. However, the bottom line surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.21. The company’s GM North America segment witnessed robust performance in the quarter, driven by a rich vehicle mix and strong pricing for its all-new full-size pickup trucks.

General Motors reported revenues of $38.4 billion, up 1.8% from the year-ago quarter. Further, revenues surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $37 billion.

During the reported quarter, total sales for the wholesale unit decreased to 1.21 million from 1.24 million in the fourth quarter of 2017. Worldwide retail unit sales decreased to 2.24 million from 2.59 million in the year-ago quarter.

This automaker’s global market share was 9.4% during the reported quarter, reflecting a decline from 10.2% in the year-ago quarter.

2018 Results

In 2018, General Motors reported adjusted earnings of $6.54 per share, down 1.2% from 2017.

The company reported revenues of $147 billion in 2018, up 1% from the 2017 figure.

Segment Results

GM North America (“GMNA”) generated net sales and revenues of $29.8 billion during the fourth quarter of 2018, up from $28.8 billion recorded in fourth-quarter 2017.

GM International’s (“GMI”) net sales and revenues were $5 billion, declining from $5.7 billion in the year-ago quarter.

GM Financial generated net sales and revenues of $3.6 billion during the quarter under review, reflecting an increase from $3.3 billion recorded in the year-ago quarter.

Financial Position

General Motors had cash and cash equivalents of $20.8 billion as of Dec 31, 2018, compared with $15.5 billion as of Dec 31, 2017.

Adjusted automotive free cash flow during the reported quarter was $4.2 billion versus $4.3 billion of free cash used in the prior-year quarter.

General Motors currently carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).

A few other top-ranked stocks in the auto space are Dana Incorporated (NYSE:DAN) , Oshkosh Corporation (NYSE:OSK) and Toyota Motor Corporation (NYSE:TM) , each currently carrying Zacks Rank #2. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

Dana has an expected long-term growth rate of 2.9%. Over the past three months, shares of the company have risen 19.2%.

Oshkosh has an expected long-term growth rate of 11.3%. Over the past three months, shares of the company have surged 13.3%.

Toyota has an expected long-term growth rate of 5.2%. Over the past three months, shares of the company have risen 5%.

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