August was a bad month for US auto sales. GM sales were down 20% versus 2007, Toyota down 9%, Ford down 26% and Chrysler fell 35%. This set the blog wondering about relative performance , and the chart shows the result. 2007 wasn’t a great year, with only Toyota (the red column) showing a sales […]
Chemicals and the Economy
1/3rd of US auto suppliers risk bankruptcy
US and European auto sales fell again last month. GM reported total US sales down 27% versus 2007, due to a ‘challenging US economic environment’ Toyota were down 19%, with Lexus sales badly hit, down 25% Ford were down 13%, and said they ‘expected H2 to be more challenging than H1, as economic and credit […]
$216.9bn and still rising
After a while, large numbers lose their power to shock. So Bloomberg and the FT have performed a service this week by reminding us of the scale of losses in the financial sector. They calculate that so far, US and European banks have had to raise $216.9bn of new capital. And, of course, whilst this […]
US auto sales fall again in Q1
Car sales are of major importance to the chemical industry. The ACC calculates each new car uses $2441 worth of chemistry. The declines reported below for March and Q1 do not, therefore, make pretty reading. March Q1 GM -13% -11% Toyota -3% -4% Ford -14% -9% Chrysler -19% -16% Even more discouraging is that none […]
Ford warns on auto sales
US autos are one of the major uses for chemicals. The ACC recently calculated that each auto contains $2441 worth of chemistry, with a wide range of companies supplying products such as antifreeze, sealants, coatings and plastics. In 2006, chemical sales to the industry were worth $32.6bn. A downturn in auto sales is therefore not […]
US autos/housing worsen
1 in every 196 US households was in receipt of a foreclosure filing at the end of September, according to Bloomberg. This is a scary number for anyone who owns a house. And Quarter 4 is likely to be worse. Latest figures from the Realtors Association show September’s existing home sales down 19.1% from a […]
US auto sales catch subprime fallout
Two of the largest US auto manufacturers, GM and Ford, have now followed Wal-Mart and Tesco’s lead in detecting a change in consumer sentiment. GM, after announcing particularly strong Q2 Asian and emerging market sales, added that US sales declined 7% as a result of ‘increasing fuel prices and concerns about housing’. Ford said that […]
Jump to page: