GM Auto Sales Rise 17% - Not as Impressive as it Sounds

V-Shaped recovery proponents are crowing about auto-sales as GM U.S. Sales Rise 17%, Topping Analysts� Estimates.

General Motors Co. posted a 17 percent increase in May U.S. sales, the first time the automaker topped analysts� forecasts since January, as customers snapped up Chevrolet Equinox sport utility vehicles and Malibu sedans.

Deliveries rose to 223,822 from 191,875 a year earlier, the Detroit-based automaker said today in statement. GM was expected to report a 5.9 percent increase, the average estimate of five analysts surveyed by Bloomberg. Industrywide sales may match the longest streak of gains in a decade, analysts estimated.

Total sales of Chevrolet vehicles gained 31 percent from a year earlier to 167,235 vehicles, and GMC brand deliveries increased 26 percent to 30,160.

Industrywide sales may have risen to an annualized rate of 11.2 million cars and light trucks for May, the average estimate of eight analysts. That would mark the eighth straight month of year-over-year gains, according to Bloomberg data.

The report speculated that Toyota sales may have risen 7.5%, Honda 22%, Nissan 11%, and Ford 16%.

Before everyone brings out the high-fives celebrating a miraculous recovery, let's put this rebound in perspective.

Light Vehicle Sales Autos and Trucks



Note the cash for clunkers spike at the end of the last recession bars.

The industry had impressive gains percentagewise, but sales are at early 1980's levels. This is hardly a V-Shaped recovery.

Mike "Mish" Shedlock
http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com
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