Sterne Agee: Global Vehicle Sales Rose 2.1 Percent In The First 11 Months Of 2014

Michael Ward of Sterne Agee stated in a note on Sunday that global vehicle sales improved 2.1 percent in the first 11 months of 2014 to 75.2 million units and remain on track to reach 81.5 million for all of 2014, an all-time high. Ward notes that positive trends continue to be seen across the three most important regions, including North America, Western Europe and China, offsetting weaker demand in Eastern Europe and South America. North American light vehicle sales have been increasing “steadily” since late 2009, according to Ward. The analyst adds that North America has been the fastest growing region globally in 2014, a trend that will continue in 2015 and 2016. Asian Pacific sales improved 3.2 percent in 2014 through the end of November, led by a 6.2 percent increase in China. Ward expects the Chinese market to see 23.2 million units sold in 2014, a figure which will increase to 25.5 million units by 2016. Vehicle registration in Western Europe improved 5.2 percent in the first 11 months of 2015 and have also improved versus the year-earlier period in 15 consecutive months, according to Ward. However, registration in Eastern European countries fell 10.2 percent during the same time period. Ward notes that heading into 2015, Eastern Europe remains “the biggest question mark” in the global industry.