Global| May 04 2011U.S. Vehicle Sales Rise Slightly M/M
by:Tom Moeller
|in:Economy in Brief
Summary
Unit sales of light vehicles recovered just 0.5% during April to 13.17M units (SAAR) after the 2.4% decline in March. The Consensus expectation was for sales of 13.0M, according to the Bloomberg survey. (Seasonal adjustment of these [...]
Unit sales of light vehicles recovered just 0.5% during April to 13.17M units (SAAR) after the 2.4% decline in March. The Consensus expectation was for sales of 13.0M, according to the Bloomberg survey. (Seasonal adjustment of these figures is provided by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.) Despite the recent lackluster performance, sales improved 16.9% versus last year.
Sales of less fuel efficient light trucks rose 3.3% m/m to 6.34M. Domestic model sales led the gain with a 5.6% rebound to 5.38M while imports dropped 8.0% to 0.96M, the lowest level since July. Sales of autos fell 2.1% to 6.83M. Domestic sales slipped 1.0% to 4.73M and sales of imports fell 4.4% to 2.10M.
Imports' share of the U.S. light vehicle market fell to 23.3%. (Imported vehicles are those produced outside the United States.) Imports' share of the U.S. car market slipped to 30.8% versus the record 35.0% for all of 2010. Imports' share of the light truck market rose to 15.2% versus 19.7% in 2009.
The U.S. vehicle sales figures can be found in Haver's USECON database.
| Light Vehicle Sales (SAAR, Mil. Units) | Apr | Mar | Feb | Y/Y | 2010 | 2009 | 2008 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 13.17 | 13.11 | 13.44 | 16.9% | 11.58 | 10.38 | 13.22 |
| Autos | 6.83 | 6.97 | 6.83 | 19.1 | 5.78 | 5.45 | 6.76 |
| Domestic | 4.73 | 4.77 | 4.69 | 24.4 | 3.78 | 3.56 | 4.44 |
| Imported | 2.10 | 2.20 | 2.14 | 10.5 | 2.02 | 1.89 | 2.32 |
| Light Trucks | 6.34 | 6.14 | 6.61 | 14.7 | 5.80 | 4.93 | 6.46 |
| Domestic | 5.38 | 5.10 | 5.51 | 15.4 | 4.84 | 3.96 | 5.28 |
| Imported | 0.96 | 1.05 | 1.09 | 10.9 | 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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