A stronger Japanese yen against the dollar may prompt Honda Motor (HMC) to shift production of its Fit model from Japan to the U.S. This is mainly because Fit is one of the Honda’s models that attracted attention in the U.S. but are imported from Japan. However, the strengthening of yen against dollar to around 90 is narrowing down the company’s revenues in Japan upon translation.  So far, Honda has focused on regional manufacturing strategy for its vehicles. The company produces about 80% of all the vehicles sold in the U.S. However, the 5-door hatchback Fit – introduced in Japan in 2001 and launched in the U.S. market in 2006 – is manufactured at a facility outside Tokyo.  The model gained huge importance in the U.S. due to its fuel-efficiency (30 mpg). For the first nine months of the year, Fit sales in the U.S. were ...

The U.S. auto industry showed a 1% sales gain to produce 1.3 million vehicles in August. It was the first annual sales gain since October 2007. Sales of cars and light trucks surged 30% compared to July. The spike in sales was solely attributed to the Cash for Clunkers program launched by the U.S. government in late July. The program allowed consumers to trade in their old gas-guzzling cars and trucks with a mileage of 18 miles per gallon or less for a value of up to $3,500–$4,500.  As many as 690,114 new cars were sold under the program. Toyota (TM), Honda (HMC) and Ford (F) were the largest beneficiaries of the program with their fuel-efficient lineup of vehicles. Toyota Motor sales advanced 6.4% to 225,088 units, largely due to its best-selling model on the Cash for Clunkers buy list – Corolla. Honda ...

For Immediate Release

Chicago, IL – August 25, 2009 – Zacks.com announces the list of stocks featured in the Analyst Blog. Every day the Zacks Equity Research analysts discuss the latest news and events impacting stocks and the financial markets. Stocks recently featured in the blog include: AutoNation (AN), Ford (F), Honda Motor (HMC), Toyota Motor (TM) and Phillips-Van Heusen Corp. (PVH).

Get the most recent insight from Zacks Equity Research with the free Profit from the Pros newsletter: http://at.zacks.com/?id=5513

Here are highlights from Monday’s Analyst Blog:

“Cash for Clunkers" Ends Run

The surge of applications under the program saw dealers run out of stock for popular models, such as Ford Focus, Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla and Nissan Altima. As of Friday, August 21, about half a million cars – worth about $2 billion – had

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Today, the extremely popular vehicle exchange program "Cash for Clunkers" will complete its tenure. “Cash for Clunkers," a.k.a. the Car Allowance Rebate System (CARS), introduced by the U.S. Government in late July, is a $3 billion cash incentive program. The program allowed consumers to trade in their fuel-inefficient vehicles for efficient ones. Customers received rebates of between $3,500 and $4,500, depending on the improvement in fuel efficiency from their old vehicle to their new one. The surge of applications under the program saw dealers run out of stock for popular models, such as Ford Focus, Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla and Nissan Altima. As of Friday, August 21, about half a million cars – worth about $2 billion – had been sold through the program. However, the sales under the program left many dealers worried about not getting reimbursed by the Government. As of August 21, dealers ...

GLOBAL MARKETS-Stocks, crude surge as profits, data spur rally

Wall Street rallies on solid profits, recovery hopes

Oil jumps as economic data raises economic recovery hope

* Dollar slips as risk sentiment improves

By Herbert Lash

NEW YORK, July 30 - Global stocks rallied and oil surged more than 5 percent on Thursday as solid corporate results worldwide and encouraging economic data boosted sentiment that had turned skittish earlier in the week.

Commodity prices jumped, with the Reuters-Jefferies CRB index <.CRB> of 19 commodities rising 3.9 percent, its biggest daily gain since March, after a two-day sell-off.

And Long-dated U.S. Treasury bonds rebounded as fears about the appetite for U.S. government debt eased after robust demand for $28 billion in new seven-year notes. ID:[nN30286312]

U.S. equity gains were broad-based, with the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index <.SPX> hitting an almost nine-month intraday high that was less than 4 points below the key 1,000 mark. The S&P closed up

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Recently, Illinois-based drivetrain products remanufacturer ATC Technology Corporation (ATAC) announced additional restructuring actions. The company aims to reduce operating costs of its Drivetrain business resulting from the pending loss of the Honda transmission remanufacturing program. The restructuring actions include additional workforce reductions and consolidation of warehousing activities.

 

In May, Honda Motor (HMC) indicated that it will source the remanufacturing of automatic transmissions from within, by winding down the transmission business with ATC by the year end. The transmission business accounted for 10% of company revenues and 29% of Drivetrain segment revenues. Following this, the company revealed in June that it will record a pre-tax goodwill impairment charge of $37 million or $1.32 per share after tax in the second quarter of 2009.

 

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When it comes to a real energy revolution, you might be in for a surprise because the biggest energy revolution in the world may not involve prairies full of solar panels and windmills, or futuristic high-tech cars that run on hydrogen or sophisticated battery arrays. It may not even be in the United States. It’s beginning to look like the biggest energy revolution, in terms of sheer size, may be the conversion of China, and other Asian countries, to natural gas (NG).

What’s so revolutionary about natural gas? Isn’t it a fossil fuel? And why Asia?

It’s not that natural gas is revolutionary. The modern natural gas industry has been around since the 19th century, and NG is indeed a card-carrying fossil fuel. But natural gas has a unique mix of qualities that appear to be winning the energy battle in some of the most

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After writing Honda (HMC) is our only hope America just two weeks ago I knew investing in HONDA MOTOR CO (NYSE:HMC) would pay off.  The stock is up 10% since then and with $4+ gas, HMC is one of the few companies to benefit from high gasoline/oil prices. Honda shares are up 6% today because they are actually selling cars, and selling them in spades. HMC reported total sales rose 15.6% in May to 167,997 vehicles from ...

I just filled up in Seattle and the cheapest regular gasoline I could find was $4.05 a gallon.  Which made me think no one is going to buy Ford's (F), GM may squeak by, but one automaker is going to blow them away, Honda Motor (NYSE:HMC) is the future. If you haven't heard, Honda Motor Co. is coming out with hybrid cars starting early next year that will cost about $1,900 more than comparable gas-only models. The cost for the Detroit Three, according to industry analysts, could be lower market share as U.S. consumers continue their rapid shift to smaller, more fuel-efficient vehicles. Honda has confirmed it will start selling a standalone hybrid model ...