• Investing
  • Stock
Round Table Thoughts
  • Economy
  • Editor’s Pick
Home Editor's Pick Stellantis aims to correct ‘arrogant’ mistakes in U.S. market, CEO says
Editor's Pick

Stellantis aims to correct ‘arrogant’ mistakes in U.S. market, CEO says

by June 17, 2024
by June 17, 2024 0 comment
Share
0
FacebookTwitterPinterestWhatsapp

Stellantis is correcting what CEO Carlos Tavares described Thursday as “arrogant” mistakes by himself and the company in the automaker’s U.S. operations that led to sales declines, bloated inventories and investor concerns.

Tavares said the convergence of three factors led to the problems: not selling down vehicle inventory fast enough; manufacturing issues, specifically with two unnamed plants; and lack of “sophistication in the way to go to market.”

“We had a convergence of three things that should have triggered, from me and nobody else, an immediate task force to address those things,” he told media Thursday after the company’s investor day at its North American headquarters. “When I’m saying that you are arrogant, I’m talking about myself. I’m talking about the fact that I should have acted immediately recognizing that the convergence of those three problems was there.”

During the investor day, Tavares and his top lieutenants broadly updated investors on the company’s operations and how Stellantis plans to achieve ambitious financial targets amid industry and economic uncertainty. The company also reconfirmed its 2024 guidance and vowed to continue to return capital to shareholders going forward.

Tavares did not elaborate on the manufacturing or go-to-market problems, but Stellantis’ inventory of vehicles leads major U.S. automakers as the company has held back incentives and cut marketing budgets. Stellantis’ U.S. sales were off 10% during the first quarter, leading to notable declines in revenue.

In May, Cox Automotive reported days’ supply of vehicles at Stellantis’ Jeep and Ram brands were more than twice the industry average of 76 days. Stellantis was the only major automaker to report a decline in U.S. sales last year; its market share dropped below 10%; and Hyundai, including Kia, outsold Stellantis for the first time ever.

While sales have been down, the company remains among the most profitable automakers globally. Since merging Fiat Chrysler and PSA Groupe to form Stellantis in 2021, the automaker’s adjusted operating income rose by 31% from 2021 through last year. Its adjusted profit margin is also up, rising 0.4 percentage point during that time frame, to 12.8%.

Stellantis reported a 12% decline in revenue in the first quarter, citing lower sales and foreign exchange effects, even as net pricing held firm. Its average vehicle transaction price in the U.S. was $57,266, according to Cox Automotive. That compares to an industry average of $48,389.

As part of the event, Tavares said Stellantis has achieved 8.4 billion euros ($9 billion) in cost reductions from the merger of Fiat Chrysler and PSA Groupe that created the company in January 2021.

That amount is more than double initial expectations from when the merger was announced in 2019, and an increase from the updated 5 billion euros in expected reductions within five years of completion of the merger, which formed one of the world’s largest automakers.

Tavares said the largest reduction was achieved in the sharing and consolidation of engineering assets for the company’s vehicles, followed by purchasing.

Cost-cutting has been a critical mission of the veteran automotive executive. Other cost-saving measures have included reshaping the company’s supply chain and operations, as well as head-count reductions.

Since the merger was agreed to in December 2019, Stellantis has reduced head count by 15.5%, or roughly 47,500 employees, through 2023, according to public filings. Additional job cuts this year involving thousands of plant workers in the U.S. and Italy have drawn the ire of unions in both countries.

Several Stellantis executives described the cuts to CNBC as difficult but effective. Others, who spoke on the condition of anonymity due to potential repercussions, have described them as grueling to the point of excessiveness.

The cuts are part of Stellantis’ strategic plan to increase profits and double revenue to 300 billion euros by 2030. The plan also includes targets such as achieving adjusted operating profit of more than 12% and industrial free cash flow of more than 20 billion euros.

“We are not looking for our way; we know where we are going,” Tavares said, referring to the automaker’s 2030 “Dare Forward” strategic plan.

Stellantis reconfirmed its 2024 guidance that included a double-digit adjusted operating income (AOI) margin, positive industrial free cash flow and at least 7.7 billion euros in capital return to investors in the forms of dividends and buybacks.

The automaker anticipates that Jeep will be a main driver for the company globally. Stellantis expects to grow sales of Jeep vehicles globally by 50% in the next three years, as the automaker attempts to leverage the quintessential American SUV brand for increased profits.

The trans-Atlantic automaker on Thursday said it will expand production and sales to roughly 1.5 million units by 2027. To do so, the company will grow its vehicle and powertrain offerings.

“The Jeep brand can be a local hero anywhere,” Tavares said. “We are going to reinforce the manufacturing footprint of Jeep.”

This post appeared first on NBC NEWS
You Might Also Like
  • YouTube is dominating the living room, forcing media companies to decide whether it’s friend or foe
  • Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito sold Bud Light owner’s stock amid boycott
  • Prodded everywhere to tip, Americans often say no
  • Americans are doing less ‘revenge spending,’ which is a good sign
Share
0
FacebookTwitterPinterestWhatsapp

previous post
Summer Fridays are on the decline — companies may be replacing them with work-from-home days
next post
Why companies are canceling summer Fridays

You may also like

If you haven’t started your Thanksgiving trip, you’re not alone....

November 28, 2023

The U.S. economy grew at a 3.3% pace in the...

January 27, 2024

Paramount ends DEI policies, cites Trump executive order

February 28, 2025

Nvidia CEO says he was wrong about timeline for quantum,...

March 21, 2025

Spirit Airlines to pay up to $8.25 million in class...

August 26, 2023

Airbnb bans indoor security cameras for properties listed on its...

March 12, 2024

Boeing’s Starliner losses top $2 billion after spacecraft program reports...

February 5, 2025

Trump Media shares plunge after company files to issue additional...

April 16, 2024

Paramount and Skydance inch closer to a merger with one...

April 30, 2024

What Fed chief Powell said about crypto that may have...

December 6, 2024

    Stay updated with the latest news, exclusive offers, and special promotions. Sign up now and be the first to know! As a member, you'll receive curated content, insider tips, and invitations to exclusive events. Don't miss out on being part of something special.


    By opting in you agree to receive emails from us and our affiliates. Your information is secure and your privacy is protected.

    Recent Posts

    • OpenAI to release web browser in challenge to Google Chrome

      July 10, 2025
    • Sports executive charged with bid-rigging in Texas arena project

      July 10, 2025
    • How I Triple My Returns With 3x Leveraged ETFs!

      July 10, 2025
    • Want Faster, Lower Risk Trades? Use This Setup

      July 9, 2025
    • The Seasonality Trend Driving XLK and XLI to New Highs

      July 9, 2025

    Popular Posts

    • 1

      Biden appointee played key role in recruiting Chinese...

      June 25, 2024 3,630 views
    • 2

      Trump-era China sanctions ended by Biden may be...

      June 27, 2024 2,919 views
    • 3

      Walz’s honeymoon with China gets fresh scrutiny as...

      August 9, 2024 2,607 views
    • 4

      Shein’s global ambitions leaves some cybersecurity experts fearful...

      July 10, 2024 2,576 views
    • 5

      Harris VP pick spent years promoting research facility...

      August 29, 2024 2,449 views

    Categories

    • Economy (7,009)
    • Editor's Pick (2,169)
    • Investing (538)
    • Stock (2,661)

    Popular Posts

    • 1

      Biden appointee played key role in recruiting Chinese businesses to Delaware: ‘Longtime friends’

      June 25, 2024
    • 2

      Trump-era China sanctions ended by Biden may be revived under new House GOP bill

      June 27, 2024
    • 3

      Walz’s honeymoon with China gets fresh scrutiny as Harris camp blasts ‘lying’ critics

      August 9, 2024
    • 4

      Shein’s global ambitions leaves some cybersecurity experts fearful of Chinese spy threats

      July 10, 2024
    • 5

      Harris VP pick spent years promoting research facility that collaborated with ‘Chinese military company’

      August 29, 2024

    Latest News

    • OpenAI to release web browser in challenge to Google Chrome

      July 10, 2025
    • Sports executive charged with bid-rigging in Texas arena project

      July 10, 2025
    • How I Triple My Returns With 3x Leveraged ETFs!

      July 10, 2025

    Categories

    • Economy (7,009)
    • Editor's Pick (2,169)
    • Investing (538)
    • Stock (2,661)

    Disclaimer: RoundTableThoughts.com, its managers, its employees, and assigns (collectively “The Company”) do not make any guarantee or warranty about what is advertised above. Information provided by this website is for research purposes only and should not be considered as personalized financial advice. The Company is not affiliated with, nor does it receive compensation from, any specific security. The Company is not registered or licensed by any governing body in any jurisdiction to give investing advice or provide investment recommendation. Any investments recommended here should be taken into consideration only after consulting with your investment advisor and after reviewing the prospectus or financial statements of the company.

    Copyright © 2024 RoundTableThoughts.com. All Rights Reserved.

    Round Table Thoughts
    • Investing
    • Stock
    Round Table Thoughts
    • Economy
    • Editor’s Pick

    Read alsox

    Oil executives bluntly criticize Trump tariffs...

    March 27, 2025

    Chocolate expected to get more expensive...

    June 14, 2023

    Disney tops quarterly profit estimates but...

    February 6, 2025
    Sign In

    Keep me signed in until I sign out

    Forgot your password?

    Password Recovery

    A new password will be emailed to you.

    Have received a new password? Login here