Chrysler Group announced its
fourth quarter and full year results today, trimming its
losses to $199 million for the last quarter and to $652
million for the whole year as it continues to steadily
turnaround its financial performance.
In Q4 2010 however Net
Revenues decreased 2.3 percent to $10,763 million,
as compared to Q3 2010, with the Chrysler Group putting
this down primarily to reduced shipment volumes as it
launched production of 11 facelifted vehicles. Total
year 2010 Net Revenues were $41,946 million, in line
with full year 2010 guidance.
The company posted a
Modified Operating Profit of $198 million in Q4 2010
and $763 million for total year 2010. The Q4 2010
operating performance, in comparison to Q3 2010, was
driven primarily by improved mix and pricing, industrial
efficiencies and improved quality, more than offset by
lower volumes, increased advertising investment and
higher launch costs.
"As Chrysler Group’s brand
displays at the Detroit auto show confirmed, the Company
has lived up to its promise to launch 16 all-new or
significantly refreshed vehicles in the past 12 months,‖
said Sergio Marchionne, Chief Executive Officer,
Chrysler Group. "All of these vehicles bear testimony to
Chrysler’s rebirth. Given the positive comments we have
received to date, it can safely be said that what
Chrysler delivered last year, on both the product and
financial fronts, surpassed many expectations. However,
our job is not yet done. We have a lot of work ahead to
fulfill our five-year business plan objectives."
Modified Earnings Before
Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization (Modified
EBITDA) in Q4 2010 was
$882 million, or 8.2 percent of Net Revenues, a $55
million decrease from Q3 2010; total year 2010 Modified
EBITDA was $3,461 million, or 8.3 percent of Net
Revenues. Net Interest
Expense in Q4 2010 was
$329 million, including non-cash interest accretion of
$57 million. Net Interest Expense was $1,228 million for
total year 2010, including non-cash interest accretion
of $229 million.
Cash
at December 31, 2010, was $7.3
billion compared to $8.3 billion at September 30, 2010.
The decrease primarily reflected anticipated unfavorable
working capital impacts at the end of the year due to
reduced production volumes as new vehicles were
launched. An additional $2.3 billion remains available
to be drawn under Chrysler Group’s U.S. Treasury and
Canadian and Ontario government loan agreements,
bringing total available liquidity above $9.6 billion.
Free Cash Flow
for the year totaled $1.4
billion, over $2 billion ahead of original guidance.
Gross Industrial Debt
at December 31, 2010, was $13.1 billion, an increase of
$1.1 billion from September 30, 2010 primarily due to
the issuance of promissory notes (totaling approximately
$1 billion) to an independent Health Care Trust in
connection with transferring the responsibility for
certain CAW retiree health care benefits from the
company to the trust, which was offset by a reduction in
accrued expenses and other liabilities. Net
Industrial Debt increased by $2.0 billion to $5.8
billion during Q4 2010.
Worldwide vehicle sales
of 374,000 units for Q4 2010
represented a decrease of 7 percent (27,000 units)
compared to 401,000 units in Q3 2010, due mainly to
reduced fleet volume associated with the new model
changeovers in Q4. Total year 2010 worldwide sales were
1,516,000 units. U.S. market share for full year 2010
was 9.2 percent, versus 8.8 percent in 2009. Canadian
market share increased to 13 percent for full-year 2010
compared to 11 percent in 2009.
Worldwide vehicle shipments
in Q4 2010 were 382,000 units,
a decrease of 6 percent versus Q3 2010. U.S. vehicle
shipments totaled 270,000 units compared to 301,000
units in the prior quarter. Total year 2010 worldwide
vehicle shipments were 1,602,000 units.
Chrysler Group maintained a
U.S. dealer inventory level consistent with its
sales performance, increasing from 231,000 vehicles at
September 30, 2010, to 236,000 vehicles at December 31,
2010. Days supply increased to 63 days from 58 days in
Q3 2010, as the company prepared for the marketing
launch of its refreshed products.
Significant Events: Fourth
Quarter and Subsequent to December 31, 2010
On October 29, Mexico’s
President Felipe Calderon and other government officials
joined Chrysler Group executives as Chrysler Mexico
confirmed its commitment to the region and country with
the inauguration of its sixth manufacturing plant, the
new Saltillo Engine Plant in Coahuila, Mexico. The
plant, along with the Trenton (Mich.) South Engine
Plant, produces the new and advanced Pentastar 3.6-liter
V6 engine.
Chrysler Group’s product
offensive continued in the fourth quarter with the
launch of 11 new or significantly-refreshed vehicles.
For the full year 2010, Chrysler Group launched 16
all-new or refreshed vehicles. The new Jeep Grand
Cherokee was named "2011 Urban Truck of the Year" by
Decisive Media; Four Wheeler magazine editors
selected the vehicle as "Four Wheeler of the Year" and
The Detroit News named it "Truck of the Year".
Additionally, AutoWeek magazine honored the Jeep
Grand Cherokee with the "Best of the Best/Truck Award"
and the vehicle was a finalist for "North America Truck
of the Year" at the North American International Auto
Show (NAIAS) in Detroit, along with the 2011 Dodge
Durango. Four Wheeler
magazine also chose the
Jeep Wrangler Rubicon the "Best 4X4 of the Decade".
Seven Chrysler Group vehicles —
the new Chrysler 300, Chrysler 200 [Sebring], Dodge
Charger, Dodge Avenger, Dodge Journey, Jeep Grand
Cherokee and Jeep Patriot — were named Top Safety Picks
for 2011 by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).
The IIHS annually recognizes vehicles that do the best
job of protecting people in front, side, rollover and
rear crashes based on a "good" rating in a series of
tests conducted by the Institute. The 2011 Dodge Avenger
and Dodge Journey were selected as Top Safety Picks for
the third straight year and the Jeep Patriot for the
second year in a row.
Ram also received many honors
in Q4 2010. In December, Ram’s heavy-duty trucks earned
the 2010 Motorist Choice Award for the Active Lifestyle
category from IntelliChoice and AutoPacific, and the Ram
Heavy Duty earned a 2010 Vehicle Satisfaction Award in
the Heavy Duty Pickup category. Off-Road Adventures
magazine selected Ram as Manufacturer of the Year
and Automobile magazine named the Ram 1500 to its
annual list of All-Stars for the second consecutive
year. The Ram 1500 remains the most awarded Ram ever. As
the new year began, Chrysler Group announced that the
Chrysler Town & Country minivan was the top-selling
minivan in the U.S. for 2010, and, for the tenth
straight year, Polk gave the Town & Country the
"Automotive Loyalty Award" in the Minivan Category. Polk
also selected the Dodge Challenger for a loyalty award
in the Sports Car category.
Production of the Fiat 500
began at the Toluca, Mexico Assembly Plant, in Q4 2010,
marking the brand’s return to U.S. and Canada after a 27
year absence. The company has appointed the first 130 of
an eventual 165 Fiat dealers in the U.S. and appointed
64 dealers in Canada. Those appointed are in the process
of preparing their new facilities for the arrival of the
Fiat 500, and will open throughout the first three
quarters of this year. The 2012 MY Fiat 500 was revealed
at the Los Angeles and Montreal International Auto
Shows.
On November 23, employees at
Chrysler Group’s Indiana Transmission Plant II in
Kokomo, Ind., welcomed President Obama and Vice
President Biden to celebrate recent and planned
investments in the Company’s Kokomo facilities,
resulting in the retention of more than 3,500 jobs. The
company confirmed it will invest $843 million in its
Indiana Transmission Plants and Kokomo Casting Plant to
accommodate production of a new advanced front-wheel
drive automatic transmission for future Chrysler
vehicles. Chrysler Group and ZF Friedrichshafen of
Germany-based ZF Group are partnering on both the
9-speed front-wheel drive and 8-speed rear-wheel drive
transmissions. ZF is making its designs and technology
available to the company.
Chrysler Group welcomed 2011
with an extensive showcase of its full, reinvigorated
product lineup from the Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge, Ram and
Mopar brands at the North American International Auto
Show in Detroit. The company also featured the new Fiat
500. The auto show marked the world premiere of the
all-new 2011 Chrysler 300 sedan and introduction of the
new, redesigned 2011 Jeep Compass. The company also
kicked off the Jeep brand’s 70th anniversary in 2011,
marking the occasion with the introduction of
distinctive, unique 70th Anniversary Edition models for
each vehicle in its lineup.
On January 10, Chrysler Group
announced that Fiat's ownership interest in the Company
increased from 20 percent to 25 percent upon the
Company’s achievement of the first of three Class B
Events outlined in its June 10, 2009 Operating
Agreement. This Event related to the certification and
start of commercial production of the Fully Integrated
Robotized Engine (FIRE) at the Company’s Dundee, Mich.,
facility. The engine will be first used in the Fiat 500.
2011 Guidance
The targets for 2011 are as
follows:
Net Revenues of >$55 billion
Modified Operating Profit of >$2.0 billion
Modified EBITDA of >$4.8 billion
Net Income of $0.2 - $0.5 billion
Positive Free Cash Flow of >$1.0 billion
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