In Effort Improve Transparency GM Will Withhold Sales Figures Until July

“Thirty days is not enough time to separate real sales trends from short-term fluctuations in a very dynamic, highly competitive market,” said Kurt McNeil, U.S. vice president, Sales Operations. “Reporting sales quarterly better aligns with our business, and the quality of information will make it easier to see how the business is performing.”

In the auto industry, monthly sales are subject to many issues that make them more volatile than quarterly sales, including product launch activity, weather, other seasonal factors, the number of selling days and incentive activity.

GM’s high level of transparency on total, brand and nameplate sales, fleet mix and inventory will not change. The company will also continue sharing J.D. Power PIN estimates for incentive spending and average transaction prices.

TheSteve - 5/1/2018 1:28:41 PM

-2 Boost

No, tRump's press folks did ;-)

MDarringer - 5/1/2018 8:41:39 PM

+2 Boost

^^^^
Humorless, cliched response #4F

TheSteve - 5/2/2018 1:11:10 PM

-1 Boost

^^^
@MDarringer: I'm like the ex that you just can't quit ;-)

MDarringer - 5/7/2018 8:15:36 AM

0 Boost

Yeah the one that got played and passed around to friends for sloppy seconds, thirds, fourths, and so on. :)

You'd probably be amusing in the backyard having martinis, but you're probably scared of rotadors.

TomM - 5/1/2018 1:37:17 PM

0 Boost

We have already learned that sales can be defined differently - and there are lots of ways to FUDGE sales figures as well - Look at the FCA thread to see how they count cars "sold" as just one example. GM has already announced it is moving to Quarterly sales reports - so telling us the dates they will be released is in fact improving transparency in a way too - although I agree it is too stupid to be something from a Lawyer - it is something a person hiding his tax returns would do.

Vette71 - 5/1/2018 1:43:33 PM

-3 Boost

Public companies report earnings on a quarterly basis, so this move is consistent with that. It will actually be a truer picture of what is going on and be far more efficient for the company.

TheSteve - 5/3/2018 3:18:44 AM

+1 Boost

Vette71, virtually all vehicle companies report unit sales, especially car companies, who report them monthly. The ones with solid numbers use them as bragging rights. This with dismal numbers prefer to keep them out of the public eye.

PUGPROUD - 5/1/2018 3:49:28 PM

+5 Boost

Holding back numbers not the issue, the issue is the stupid explanation why! GM arrogance continues...someone please tell them that their market leadership position is an ever decreasing image in their rear view mirror. Miriam-Webster defines transparent as "characterized by visibility." Hey GM, how can we see what we cannot see?

TomM - 5/3/2018 3:41:30 PM

-2 Boost

Who really cares?

This is a group about the cars. GM is not going out of business now - in fact they are staying in more segments than FORD is.

THe only people who should really care about monthly unit figures of cars are the investors who would like something beyond the normal figures reported to the stock exchanges - which GM still will be reporting. MOST businesses report sales and profit figures - without breaking it down to the individual products.
The fact is - telling us how many of a particular vehicle is sold does not really tell us how much money is made on those sales anyway.

senft - 5/7/2018 6:31:48 AM

+1 Boost

One would think monthly sales numbers are easier than ever now.