TOP 100 TRANSPORTATION AND LOGISTICS SITES
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| Goodyear Ignores Raw Materials Pricing George Gutowski submits: The Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company (GT) yesterday reported Q1 2009 financial results (Q1 conference call transcript). Demand for tires is down as new car sales dropped dramatically. Also, I suspect replacement tires are not selling as well as cash-strapped consumers stretch their budgets. So if sales are down, their purchases of raw materials must also be dropping. But Goodyear reports that the cost of raw materials has increased. Read this quote in a Q1 context:“Higher raw material costs, which increased 31 percent, or approximately $332 million, more than offset improved price/mix of $161 million.”Complete Story » seekingalpha.com |
The New Detroit Isn't in Detroit Jeff Jarvis submits: [[GM]] says it is reinventing itself. And what makes them or the government think they can do that on top of old infrastructure and old ways even with our billions? Good f*ing luck. Last week, I met the man who is really reinventing the car industry, Jay Rogers, founder of Local Motors. He is creating the platform and API for new cars that are designed collaboratively by communities and built in microfactories across the country by staffs of only 41 using almost entirely off-the-shelf parts. He says he will be profitable selling only 500 cars. He plans to build 3-5,000 of each model and he’s months away from delivering his first.Complete Story » seekingalpha.com |
LKQ Corp: A Cash for Clunkers Pure Play Tate Dwinnell submits: The Cash For Clunkers program has been wildly successful, burning through the initial $1 billion allocated to the program within a couple weeks. Harry Reid has said that the Senate will OK another $2 billion before the August recess. The obvious beneficiaries are the auto makers and auto parts suppliers, but one pure play may be overlooked and that’s LKQ Corp (LKQX), which is the largest auto parts recycler in the nation with 280 facilities. What happens when a clunker is exchanged for a new vehicle? It’s not as easy as reselling as a used vehicle which the program prohibits. The dealer is required to kill the engine and destroy the vehicle. The vehicle may be parted out (as long as it’s not the engine or drivetrain), but parts must be sold within 180 days. LKQ has setup a program to make that process relatively painless. Complete Story » seekingalpha.com |
EPA Seeks New Ways to Explain Fuel Economy TheCarConnection.com submits: By Richard ReadLike that old gray mare the kids keep talking about, fuel economy standards ain't what they used to be. We've seen this recently with General Motors' announcement of a 230 mpg rating for the Chevrolet Volt. We've also seen it with the Fisker Karma sedan, which announced a much more modest fuel economy of 67 mpg. In the context of conventional, combustion-engined cars, those figures are pretty eye-popping -- but of course, they're not quite what they seem. The EPA is working to fix that.Complete Story » seekingalpha.com |
Keep Your Portfolio Chugging Along with Monro Muffler Brake Invest With An Edge submits: Some experts think the U.S. economy is beginning to show signs of recovery. Possibly, but with so many folks still unemployed and access to credit at its lowest levels in years, consumers and businesses alike are tightening their purse strings. Over the past year, we’ve highlighted frugalpalooza opportunities for investors looking to profit from the widespread development of penny-wise consumers. Today we offer an interesting auto-related play. One consequence of recession is that drivers often hang on to their cars longer. To keep an older vehicle in good working order, you need to spend money on maintenance and spare parts. Those factors make Monro Muffler Brake (MNRO) a compelling play on the thrifty consumer. New York-based Monro offers an array of mundane auto services from oil changes to brake repair. They’re a sizeable company with 710 stores in 17 states.Complete Story » seekingalpha.com |