Global| Feb 02 2011U.S. Vehicle Sales Remain Unchanged M/M
by:Tom Moeller
|in:Economy in Brief
Summary
As expected, unit sales of light vehicles were roughly unchanged last month versus December at 12.62M units (SAAR). (Seasonal adjustment of these figures is provided by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.) Nevertheless, sales were [...]
As expected, unit
sales of light vehicles were roughly unchanged last month versus
December at 12.62M units (SAAR). (Seasonal adjustment of these figures is
provided by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.) Nevertheless, sales
were up 17.4% y/y and started Q1 up slightly from Q4.
Though they fell slightly from December,auto sales posted a 7.2% y/y rise to 6.09M. A 2.9% monthly increase in domestics pulled them up 8.4% for the year. Imported auto sales, however, slipped for the fourth consecutive month (+4.8% y/y). Sales of light trucks rose 1.4% to 6.53M (28.9% y/y). Sales of domestics inched up 1.5% m/m and 34.1% y/y. Sales of imported light trucks rose a similar 1.2% m/m and 7.2% versus twelve months ago.
For the month, import's share of the U.S. light vehicle market slipped m/m to 23.9%. (Imported vehicles are those produced outside the United States.) Imports' share of the U.S. car market fell to 32.3% for January versus the record 35.0% for all of 2010. Imports' share of the light truck market fell m/m to 15.9%. It remained below the 16.5% during all of last year and the record 19.7% in 2009.
The U.S. vehicle sales figures can be found in Haver's USECON database.
| Light Vehicle Sales (SAAR, Mil. Units) | Jan | Dec | Nov | Y/Y | 2010 | 2009 | 2008 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 12.62 | 12.55 | 12.26 | 17.4% | 11.58 | 10.38 | 13.22 |
| Autos | 6.09 | 6.11 | 5.89 | 7.2 | 5.78 | 5.45 | 6.76 |
| Domestic | 4.12 | 4.01 | 3.72 | 8.4 | 3.78 | 3.56 | 4.44 |
| Imported | 1.97 | 2.10 | 2.16 | 4.8 | 2.02 | 1.89 | 2.32 |
| Light Trucks | 6.53 | 6.44 | 6.37 | 28.9 | 5.80 | 4.93 | 6.46 |
| Domestic | 5.49 | 5.41 | 5.30 | 34.1 | 4.84 | 3.96 | 5.28 |
| Imported | 1.04 | 1.03 | 1.07 | 7.2 | 0.96 | 0.97 | 1.18 |
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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