John Casesa
John Casesa
beginning plan
The plan was in-line with our expectations and is only the beginning of a long restructuring process.
bright driven left sales spot year
The only bright spot left this year could be December, which is typically driven by year-end sales campaigns.
brand damage
We think the damage to the (Ford) brand has already been done.
action extent gm influence takes urgency
To the extent that GM takes any action to get more competitive, that has to influence the urgency of Ford's strategy.
actions america assembly await benefits capacity costs gm north ongoing plan reduce reflect step surprised visible
We were surprised that GM said that it does not plan to reduce permanently assembly capacity in North America to reflect the Olds phase-out, ... GM's restructuring, especially its discontinuance of the Olds brand, is undeniably a step in the right direction. However, the costs of these actions are much more visible than their ongoing benefits right now. We anxiously await follow-up actions.
auto beginning cost economy hit increase industry inevitable large money slow ticket
I think the auto industry and the economy at large are inseparable. An increase in the cost of money is going to slow down big ticket purchases, and it's inevitable that is going to hit auto sales. I think that's what we're beginning to see in May.
auto economy economy-and-economics industry large
I think the auto industry and the economy at large are inseparable,
campaign declined employee last nine pricing sales saved
GM's sales have declined year-over-year in nine of the last 12 months, saved only by the employee pricing campaign this summer.
ability dependent growth identify labor market responding segments speed success
GM's competitiveness is not only dependent upon labor costs, but also on the speed of its decision-making, its success in responding to the market appropriately and its ability to identify the growth segments in the market.
bonus car cash eventually gm happened host inventory likely losing maintain program sales strong
GM likely doesn't have enough inventory to maintain a strong sales pace. And inevitably, the employee-pricing program is losing its effectiveness, as eventually happened to zero-percent financing, hot-button bonus cash programs, talk-show host car giveaways and other promotions.
gm inventory likely maintain sales strong
GM likely doesn't have enough inventory to maintain a strong sales pace.
competition fast gm
GM is going in the right direction, but it is not getting better as fast as the competition is getting better.
almost derived earnings european gm third
GM historically has derived almost a third of its earnings from the European business. It didn't do that in this quarter.
calls care gm health including
GM has many calls on its cash, including pensions, retiree health care and Fiat's put option,