What's Behind General Motors' Q2 Sales Decline of 4% Y/Y?

General Motors Company GM reported second-quarter sales of 714,896 vehicles, down 4% year over year, as demand was affected by a smaller electric-vehicle market, discontinued models and inventory constraints. EV sales fell 33% from the same period last year.All four of General Motors’ brands posted…

General Motors Company GM reported second-quarter sales of 714,896 vehicles, down 4% year over year, as demand was affected by a smaller electric-vehicle market, discontinued models and inventory constraints. EV sales fell 33% from the same period last year.

All four of General Motors’ brands posted lower sales in the quarter. Cadillac recorded the steepest decline of 19.2% year over year, followed by Buick at 7.5%, Chevrolet at 3.9% and GMC at 0.3%. A sharp decline in year-over-year sales of XT4 and XT6 impacted Cadillac sales. Cadillac, however, posted its highest-ever second-quarter EV sales, fueled by strong demand for the OPTIQ and VISTIQ models. The V-Series also achieved record sales for both the second quarter and the first half of the year.

Per Duncan Aldred, GM North America president, the company's business remains strong, with customer demand continuing to be resilient, particularly for its truck and SUV lineup.

Sales of Chevrolet Silverado pickups dropped 7.7% year over year during the quarter, including a 25.9% decline for the electric version. Despite this, GM expects to increase its share of the full-size truck market. Meanwhile, GMC Sierra pickup sales rose 5%, supported by double-digit growth in its electric and light-duty 1500 models despite challenging year-over-year comparisons.

Chevrolet posted record second-quarter SUV sales, driven by a 28% year-over-year increase in Trailblazer sales and a 20% gain for the Traverse. Corvette sales climbed 24% year over year during the quarter.

General Motors remained the industry leader in fleet sales during both the second quarter and the first half, supported by robust demand for its trucks from commercial customers.

GM Zacks Rank & Other Key Picks

General Motors currently has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).

Some other top-ranked stocks in the auto space are Cummins Inc. CMI, China Yuchai International Limited CYD and Douglas Dynamics, Inc. PLOW, each sporting a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) at present. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for CMI’s 2026 sales and earnings implies year-over-year growth of 10.6% and 23.3%, respectively. The EPS estimate for 2026 and 2027 has improved 35 cents and $1.04, respectively, over the past 30 days.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for CYD’s 2026 sales and earnings implies year-over-year growth of 52.2% and 51%, respectively. The EPS estimate for 2026 has improved 15 cents over the past 30 days.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for PLOW’s 2026 sales and earnings implies year-over-year growth of 16.7% and 31.4%, respectively. The EPS estimate for 2026 and 2027 has improved 39 cents and 29 cents, respectively, over the past 60 days.

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