Archive for the ‘Economic’ Category

Speaking at a World Economic Forum in New Delhi, Carlos Ghosn -- head of Nissan Motor Company and Renault SA -- had some interesting things to say about the global auto industry. Among the most notable and encouraging items, Ghosn believes that the international sales slump has ended and that the industry is beginning to rebound. He had previously predicted global sales to ring in around 55 million units, but has now upgraded that figure to 60 million. (For reference, 2008 and 2007 each saw sales in the 70-million-unit range.)

Like his rivals at Toyota, Ghosn attributes much of the rebound to sales incentives offered by governments around...

Detroit's Big Three may have grabbed most of this week's headlines, but that doesn't mean that the rest of the world's automakers have been sitting on their hands. One story that isn't getting much play is the fact that Toyota Motor Company -- which posted its first-ever loss last fiscal year -- returned to profitability last quarter.

Although the company's financials weren't quite as impressive as those Ford released on Monday, the ¥21.8 billion ($242 million) profit Toyota realized in July, August, and September 2009 marks a welcome break from the losses Toyota posted in the three previous quarters. Of course, that ¥21.8 billion figure...

It's no secret that Ford Motor Company has withstood the current financial storm far better than Chrysler and General Motors. Between its refreshed reputation as a manufacturer of quality vehicles and the fact that Ford was the only Detroit automaker to dodge both bankruptcy and bailout dough, the company has emerged from the economic downturn (if we're truly out of it) stronger and more respected by the public than before. In fact, some analysts are predicting that Ford will announce a break-even or slightly profitable third quarter when it reveals earnings for the period next Monday.

Much of Ford's good fortune is thanks to the company's...