BloggingStocks http://www.bloggingstocks.com BloggingStocks http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/media/feedlogo.gif BloggingStocks http://www.bloggingstocks.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Can Barack Obama save the car industry?]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/01/02/can-barack-obama-save-the-car-industry/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/01/02/can-barack-obama-save-the-car-industry/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/01/02/can-barack-obama-save-the-car-industry/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Fortune's Alex Taylor reports that "The president-elect can do more for the auto industry than anyone since Henry Ford."

Taylor lists plenty of do's and don'ts for Obama: Do consider a prepackaged bankruptcy, don't tell companies how to do business, raise the gas tax and more.

All good advice to be sure, but will it really matter? As I see it, General Motors (NYSE: GM), Ford (NYSE: F) and Chrysler have to do two things in order to become viable again: build cars that can compete in the marketplace on quality and price and reduce their cost structures by enough to achieve profitability.

I'm not sure that Obama or anyone else outside of the executive suite can do much to achieve either of those goals.

Will low-interest loans help? In the short-term, of course: Any company that's running out of money will last longer if you give it cash. But whether these companies will ever become viable again is out of Obama's hands.

Can Barack Obama save the car industry? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 02 Jan 2009 15:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Car industryCarIndustryChryslerFFordGeneral MotorsGeneralMotorsGMinthenewsObamaFri, 02 Jan 2009 15:19:00 EST<![CDATA[The UAW as GM's health care plan provider?]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2007/09/18/the-uaw-as-gms-health-care-plan-provider/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2007/09/18/the-uaw-as-gms-health-care-plan-provider/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2007/09/18/the-uaw-as-gms-health-care-plan-provider/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

As a nation, we seem to be evolving toward consensus that saddling employers with the responsibility of arranging and paying for health care is an inefficient system. Such a system demands companies develop expertise that has no relationship to their core business.

This begs the question -- if not these corporations, then who? According to the GM-United Auto Workers negotiations, the answer could be, the unions that represent GM employees. Is this a good solution for the workers, the corporations, investors, and/or the country? My impressions to date are no, yes, yes, and no.

If I were a UAW retiree, I'd be very nervous about the likelihood that the UAW bean counters could do a better job than GM in allocating the right amount of money to cover future health benefits. Certainly, GM is going to sharpen its pencil in an attempt to fund this as leanly as possible, and even at that, the pot will no doubt stretch the corporation's wallet.

Continue reading The UAW as GM's health care plan provider?

The UAW as GM's health care plan provider? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 18 Sep 2007 15:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>auto workers unionAutoWorkersUnioncar industryCarIndustryffeaturedfordgeneral motorsGeneralMotorsgmhealth careHealthCarenational health careNationalHealthCareunionsunited auto workersUnitedAutoWorkersTue, 18 Sep 2007 15:15:00 EST<![CDATA[A closer look at Ford's 2nd quarter earnings]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2007/07/26/a-closer-look-at-fords-2nd-quarter-earnings/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2007/07/26/a-closer-look-at-fords-2nd-quarter-earnings/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2007/07/26/a-closer-look-at-fords-2nd-quarter-earnings/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Here is some background for Brian White's liveblogging of Ford's (NYSE: F) second quarter earning results:

Ford surprised the market by announcing black ink for the second quarter of 2007, with net income of $750 million, or $0.31 EPS on $44 billion revenue, which was a 6% increase over 2006 2nd quarter.

Unfortunately the increase in revenue was primarily due to currency exchange, mix and net pricing improvements -- sales volume actually was lower than 2006. The profit was due in part to cost reductions of $600 million, including the elimination of 6,400 jobs.

Backing out special items, mostly the sale of Aston Martin and deferred gains on certain hedges at Jaguar and Land Rover, and profits finished at $258 million, or $0.13 EPS. The paltry earnings won't do much to excite a market convinced that the company has taken only the first few initial steps in their climb back to economic viability.

Continue reading A closer look at Ford's 2nd quarter earnings

A closer look at Ford's 2nd quarter earnings originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 26 Jul 2007 11:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>auston martinAustonMartinautomobile industryAutomobileIndustrycar industrycar salesCarIndustryCarSalesffordford earningsFordEarningsinthenewsjaguarland roverLandRovermazdavolvoThu, 26 Jul 2007 11:41:00 EST