GM quarterly profit slumps 35%, but it sticks by full year outlook that was lowered in May

Washington Post

5 days ago

General Motors' profit declined 35% in its second-quarter, including a $1.1 billion hit from tariffs, but the automaker easily topped expectations and stuck by its full-year financial outlook that it lowered in May .
GM CEO Mary Barra also said in a letter to shareholders on Tuesday that the automaker is attempting to 'greatly reduce our tariff exposure,' citing $4 billion of new investment in its U.S. assembly plants.
'In addition to our strong underlying operating performance, we are positioning the business for a profitable, long-term future as we adapt to new trade and tax policies, and a rapidly evolving tech landscape,' she said.
Barra said during GM's conference call that the automaker expects to build more than 2 million vehicles in the U.S. each year as it scales production.
GM said that it's making solid progress in mitigating at least 30% of the $4 billion to $5 billion gross tariff impact it anticipates for the year through manufacturing adjustments, targeted cost initiatives and with pricing.
The company expects the impact from the Trump administration's tariffs to take a bigger toll in the third quarter because of indirect costs related to the duties.
Chief Financial Officer Paul Jacobson remained optimistic, however.
'Over time, we remain confident that our total tariff expense will come down as bilateral trade deals emerge and our sourcing and production adjustments are implemented,' he said.
For the three months ended June 30, GM earned $1.89 billion, or $1.91 per share. A year earlier the company earned $2.93 billion, or $2.55 per share.
Stripping out certain items, earnings were $2.53 per share. That handily beat the $2.34 per share analysts polled by FactSet were calling for.
Revenue declined to $47.12 billion from $47.97 billion, but still topped Wall Street's estimate of $45.84 billion.
Jacobson said that GM dealt with higher warranty expenses during the quarter, which was partly due to increase warranty claims from software issues on some of its early EV launches. Jacobson said GM provided extended warranties as needed and is working to improve supplier quality.
Shares fell nearly 2% before the opening bell on Tuesday.
EV sales totaled 46,300 in the second quarter, up from 31,900 in the first quarter. Yet overall in the U.S. EV sales growth has begun to slow. The $7,500 EV tax credit under the Inflation Reduction Act is set to expire in September for many models.
'Despite slower EV industry growth, we believe the long-term future is profitable electric vehicle production, and this continues to be our north star,' she wrote. 'As we adjust to changing demand, we will prioritize our customers, brands, and a flexible manufacturing footprint, and leverage our domestic battery investments and other profit-improvement plans.'
Wedbush analyst Dan Ives believes Barra is doing a good job dealing with the issues the auto industry is facing.
'While the tariff headlines continue to put further pressure on the bottom line for the foreseeable future, we believe Barra & Co. continues to impressively navigate the complex backdrop successfully while seeing continued high demand for its entire fleet of EVs and (internal combustion engine) vehicles,' he wrote in a client note.
GM maintained its full-year financial forecast. In May General Motors lowered its profit expectations for the year as the carmaker braced for a potential impact from auto tariffs as high as $5 billion in 2025.
The Detroit automaker said at the time that it anticipated full-year adjusted earnings before interest and taxes in a range of $10 billion to $12.5 billion. The guidance includes a current tariff exposure of $4 billion to $5 billion.
A month later GM announced plans to invest $4 billion to shift some production from Mexico to U.S. manufacturing plants. The company said at the time that the investment would be made over the next two years and was for its gas and electric vehicles.
President Donald Trump signed executive orders in April to relax some of his 25% tariffs on automobiles and auto parts, a significant reversal as the import taxes threatened to hurt domestic manufacturers.
Automakers and independent analyses have indicated that the tariffs could raise prices, reduce sales and make U.S. production less competitive worldwide. Trump portrayed the changes as a bridge toward automakers moving more production into the United States.
The tariffs ordered by Trump are hitting the entire auto sector, which sends vehicles and parts across the northern and southern borders of the U.S. repeatedly as they are assembled. The Center for Automative Research says that a uniform 25% tariff on all trading partners would have an increased cost of $107.7 billion to all U.S. automakers and an increased cost of $41.9 billion for the Big Three automakers in Detroit, Stellantis, GM and Ford.
GM reported its financial results a day after Jeep maker Stellantis said that its preliminary estimates show a 2.3 billion euros ($2.68 billion) net loss in the first half of the year due to U.S. tariffs and some hefty charges. Stellantis will release its financial results for the first half of the year on July 29.