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Classified in: Transportation
Subject: SLS

Auto Sales Expected to Maintain Strong Pace in November


ATLANTA, Nov. 28, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- According to a forecast released today by Cox Automotive, the new-vehicle sales pace in November is expected to be 17.1 million units, a decrease from October's strong 17.5 million level, but on pace with the market's 2018 overall average. 

Cox Automotive (PRNewsfoto/Cox Automotive)

"The market continues to outperform our earlier forecast with expected headwinds being offset by other market factors," said Charlie Chesbrough, senior economist at Cox Automotive. "Looking ahead, affordability concerns ? attributable to increasing interest rates, weakness in home construction and volatility in the stock market are growing headwinds to watch. However, sales in 2018 will be above 17 million, which is a very strong market indeed. How long this pace continues is the key question." 

Year-over-year comparisons for November will provide a clearer picture of the market's strength as we approach the end of 2018. The number of selling days is unchanged from last November at 25, and the nearly full week of sales after the Thanksgiving holiday in both years allows for a solid comparison. 

According to Chesbrough, "Some of the strength in the market in recent months may be due to pull-ahead sales from buyers concerned about higher prices from steel and aluminum tariffs already in place, the threat of additional tariffs, and rising interest rates."

For vehicle shoppers, November is traditionally a hot month. The sales pace over the last three years has averaged a very-strong 17.6 million, including the all-time November pace record of 17.9 million in 2015. Vehicle buying has been particularly strong in the fourth quarter the last few years as shoppers gobble up the year-end deals. Beating the all-time record pace for November is possible; however, sales volume would need to exceed expectations by nearly 70,000 units.

Key Highlights for November 2018 Sales Forecast:

Weak Car Sales Expected to Drop Ford and Nissan Double-Digits for Year

Strength in Jeep brand should help lift FCA to a strong showing while weakness in car segments is likely to negatively impact Ford, Honda, Nissan and Toyota.

 


Sales Forecast1

Market Share


Nov-18

Nov-17

Oct-18

YOY%

MOM%

Nov-18

Oct-18

MOM

Nov-17

GM

235,000

245,387

242,000*

-4.2%

-2.9%

17.3%

17.8%

-0.5%

17.6%

Ford Motor Co

185,000

210,205

191,682

-12.0%

-3.5%

13.6%

14.1%

-0.5%

15.1%

Toyota Motor Co

185,000

191,617

191,102

-3.5%

-3.2%

13.6%

14.0%

-0.4%

13.7%

FCA Group

180,000

154,919

177,391

16.2%

1.5%

13.2%

13.0%

0.2%

11.1%

American Honda

122,000

133,156

122,182

-8.4%

-0.1%

9.0%

9.0%

0.0%

9.5%

Nissan NA

115,000

135,985

109,962

-15.4%

4.6%

8.5%

8.1%

0.4%

9.7%

Hyundai Kia

103,000

101,513

98,127

1.5%

5.0%

7.6%

7.2%

0.4%

7.3%

VW

53,000

53,957

49,873

-1.8%

6.3%

3.9%

3.7%

0.2%

3.9%

Subaru

56,000

51,721

55,394

8.3%

1.1%

4.1%

4.1%

0.0%

3.7%

Grand Total2

1,360,000

1,396,138

1,360,776

-2.6%

-0.1%





 

1 November 2018 Cox Automotive Industry Insights Forecast; all historical data from OEM sales announcements

2 Total includes brands not shown

* GM monthly sales are estimated

 

Most car segments should see double-digit declines from last year as consumers continue to shift toward crossovers. A big question mark is how will pickup trucks perform. New products from GM and Ram coupled with discounting of the previous version should lift sales. However, weakness in home construction and high transaction prices are likely to weigh sales down.

 


Sales Forecast1

Market Share

Segment

Nov-18

Nov-17

Oct-18

YOY

MOM

Nov-18

Oct-18

MOM

Nov-17

Mid-Size Car

110,000

129,344

119,663

-15.0%

-8.1%

8.1%

8.8%

-0.7%

9.3%

Compact Car

125,000

153,190

143,524

-18.4%

-12.9%

9.2%

10.5%

-1.4%

11.0%

Compact SUV/Crossover

255,000

228,535

260,582

11.6%

-2.1%

18.8%

19.1%

-0.4%

16.4%

Full-Size Pickup Truck

205,000

206,363

206,466

-0.7%

-0.7%

15.1%

15.2%

-0.1%

14.8%

Mid-Size SUV/Crossover

210,000

187,976

210,646

11.7%

-0.3%

15.4%

15.5%

0.0%

13.5%

Grand Total2

1,360,000

1,396,138

1,360,776

-2.6%

-0.1%





 

1 Cox Automotive Industry Insights data

2 Total includes segments not shown

 

Although overall year-to-date light-vehicle sales are basically flat compared to last year, the market in 2018 has been very different. Fleet sales in 2018 have been higher versus 2017, generally off-setting lower retail volumes. The product mix is different as well, with light truck sales up 8 percent over last year or 730,000 units. Car sales, on the other hand, are down 13 percent from last year, or 675,000 units, and these declines are keeping the overall vehicle market on a much slower pace. This has been a major trend for the last few years and is likely to continue. Car share in 2015 averaged 43 percent of all vehicle sales and has fallen steadily to 31 percent so far in 2018.  

Where the bottom is for car segments' share of sales is still unknown. Recent months continue to show double-digit declines from prior year sales. However, there are changes within the used market that may alter new cars' sales trends. Auction prices for used cars have been declining for years due to consumers' preference for CUVs, and an over-supply of off-lease cars. Inexpensive competition from used cars have contributed to the collapse in new-car demand. However, used-car prices are now rising and at a quicker pace than some other used segments. As a result, used cars are not quite the bargain they were earlier in the year and some car segment buyers may decide to buy new instead of used.

All percentages are based on raw volume, not daily selling rate.

Cox Automotive Monthly Sales One-on-One Interviews
Cox Automotive is organizing one-on-one interviews with our industry experts on Monday, December 3. Analysts will be available to answer questions and provide insights on the results as they come in. Written commentary will be published and distributed as usual by 11:15 a.m. EST on sales day.

About Cox Automotive
Cox Automotive Inc. makes buying, selling and owning cars easier for everyone. The global company's 34,000-plus team members and family of brands, including Autotrader®, Clutch Technologies, Dealer.com®, Dealertrack®, Kelley Blue Book®, Manheim®, NextGear Capital®, VinSolutions®, vAuto® and Xtime®, are passionate about helping millions of car shoppers, 40,000 auto dealer clients across five continents and many others throughout the automotive industry thrive for generations to come. Cox Automotive is a subsidiary of Cox Enterprises Inc., a privately-owned, Atlanta-based company with revenues exceeding $20 billion. www.coxautoinc.com

SOURCE Cox Automotive


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