GM stock hits new lows, auto stocks suffer
GM shares closed at $14.88 a share, down 5.9 percent. GM shares have lost almost half of their value since Feb 1, when they closed at $28.98. That is roughly $8 billion in lost market capitalization.
The decline in GM's stock price comes on the same day a Deutsche Bank analyst cut his 2008 U.S. light-vehicle sales forecast and said GM probably will need an aggressive restructuring plan so it could borrow money to cover its spending.
Analyst Rod Lache wrote in a research note that he expected U.S. light-vehicle sales of 14.5 million in 2008, down from his previous estimate of 14.9 million as dealers and automakers struggle to meet rapidly shifting customer demand.
Another analyst speculated that GM would be borrowing more money.
"GM is burning cash fast, but it (unlike Ford) still has many unencumbered assets that can be borrowed against," JP Morgan analyst Himanshu Patel said in a note for clients.
"The bank debt market is expensive but open, and we believe GM, most likely before year end and perhaps as early as the third quarter, may announce a secured bank deal," he said.
Patel estimated GM could borrow up to $10 billion, secured by assets such as its overseas operations, trademarks for brands and inventories.
Other players in the auto industry also saw their shares fall sharply. Ford Motor Co. shares fell 6 percent to close at $6.20, a slight recovery from earlier in the day.
First-quarter earnings news from CarMax Inc. also helped drag down the sector. CarMax saw its earnings decline by more than half as customers bought fewer light trucks. CarMax shares closed down 13.3 percent, at $15.91.
Shares of American Axle & Manufacturing Holdings Inc. hit their lowest price since 2001, touching $11.76 during the day but rising slightly to close at $11.81. Dealership groups Lithia Motors Inc. and Sonic Automotive Inc. each hit52-week lows. Lithia fell to $5.72 but closed slightly higher. Sonic fell 5.9 percent to $13.86.