Global| Sep 05 2012U.S. Vehicle Sales Approach Recovery High
by:Tom Moeller
|in:Economy in Brief
Summary
Car shoppers were busy last month. Unit sales of light motor vehicles during August gained 3.1% m/m (16.6% y/y) to 14.52M (SAAR) according to the Autodata Corporation. The gain recouped July's drop and raised sales to their highest [...]
Car shoppers were busy last month. Unit sales of light motor vehicles during August gained 3.1% m/m (16.6% y/y) to 14.52M (SAAR) according to the Autodata Corporation. The gain recouped July's drop and raised sales to their highest since March 2008. The latest beat the Consensus estimate for 14.2M sales, according to Bloomberg.
Auto sales increased 3.5% m/m (24.9% y/y) to 7.38M. Domestic car sales gained 5.9% to 5.30M (29.2% y/y) while imports fell 2.2% (+15.2% y/y) to 2.08M. Light truck sales rose 2.7% (9.1% y/y) to 7.14M. Domestic truck purchases jumped 4.4% (13.0% y/y) to 6.28M but sales of imported light trucks fell another 8.5% (-13.0% y/y) to 0.86M, the lowest level since February 2010.
Imports' share of the U.S. light vehicle market fell to 20.2% in August and was the lowest since early 2006. (Imported vehicles are those produced outside the United States.) That share was down from its peak of 29.9% in Q1'09. The lower foreign exchange value of the dollar played a role as it made imports relatively more expensive. Imports' share of the U.S. car market also fell to 28.1%, its lowest since 2006, and was down from its 37.8% monthly peak in 2010. Imports' share of the light truck market fell to 12.0% last month, half its 23.9% peak in early '09.The U.S. vehicle sales figures can be found in Haver's USECON database.
| Light Vehicle Sales (SAAR, Mil. Units) | Aug | Jul | Jun | Y/Y % | 2011 | 2010 | 2009 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 14.52 | 14.09 | 14.38 | 16.6 | 12.83 | 11.58 | 10.38 |
| Autos | 7.38 | 7.13 | 7.25 | 24.9 | 6.29 | 5.79 | 5.45 |
| Domestic | 5.30 | 5.01 | 5.10 | 29.2 | 4.26 | 3.78 | 3.56 |
| Imported | 2.08 | 2.12 | 2.15 | 15.2 | 2.03 | 2.00 | 1.89 |
| Light Trucks | 7.14 | 6.95 | 7.13 | 9.1 | 6.54 | 5.79 | 4.93 |
| Domestic | 6.28 | 6.02 | 6.17 | 13.0 | 5.54 | 4.84 | 3.96 |
| Imported | 0.86 | 0.94 | 0.96 | -13.0 | 1.00 | 0.96 | 0.97 |
Tom Moeller
AuthorMore in Author Profile »Prior to joining Haver Analytics in 2000, Mr. Moeller worked as the Economist at Chancellor Capital Management from 1985 to 1999. There, he developed comprehensive economic forecasts and interpreted economic data for equity and fixed income portfolio managers. Also at Chancellor, Mr. Moeller worked as an equity analyst and was responsible for researching and rating companies in the economically sensitive automobile and housing industries for investment in Chancellor’s equity portfolio. Prior to joining Chancellor, Mr. Moeller was an Economist at Citibank from 1979 to 1984. He also analyzed pricing behavior in the metals industry for the Council on Wage and Price Stability in Washington, D.C. In 1999, Mr. Moeller received the award for most accurate forecast from the Forecasters' Club of New York. From 1990 to 1992 he was President of the New York Association for Business Economists. Mr. Moeller earned an M.B.A. in Finance from Fordham University, where he graduated in 1987. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from George Washington University.
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