Ford and GM See Sales Growth; Chrysler is Big 2011 Winner

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Ford (F) sales rose 11% in the U.S. in 2011, General Motors (GM) sales rose 13% and Chrysler sales jumped 26%. And while Japanese carmakers generally struggled this year as they dealt with supply problems caused by natural disasters, Nissan (NSANY) saw sales rise almost 15%. In December, Ford posted 10% sales increase, and GM posted a 5% increase. Ford shares rose 2.3%, but GM slid 1.1%.

Chrysler, meanwhile, said sales jumped 37% in December, and asserted that its market share grew by 1.3 percentage points in 2011.

In general, sales figures from 2011 paint a picture of an industry on the rise, with an estimated 12.7 million vehicles sold in the U.S. in 2011. But investors have been impatient in the past year, and have generally punished automakers even during months when they posted surprisingly strong sales.

In the coming year, auto companies should see more sales growth. “In the U.S., Ford expects the economy to expand 2 to 3 percent in 2012 and industry sales to be in the range of 13.5 million to 14.5 million,” Ford said in a release.



Original Article Source by Barrons.com