Lotlinx’s Len Short digs beneath the headlines to review a litany of first quarter auto retail and finance reports and distills them into four key points in his latest contribution to DealerELITE. +
The Dealertrack Credit Availability Index fell from 96.3 in March to 95.7 in April, an 0.7% decrease driven by fewer loans extended to subprime buyers. +
Kelley Blue Book reports U.S. average transaction prices increased by 2.5% for new vehicles between March and April while Carfax finds used units enjoyed an unusually large “spring bounce.” +
Chairman Jerome Powell says the Federal Reserve will not reduce its target lending rate, holding at 4.25% to 4.5% as evolving economic and trade policies make future conditions difficult to predict. +
Group 1 Automotive reported a 5% increase in F&I profit per vehicle in the first quarter, leading the six biggest publicly traded U.S. auto groups, five of which reported year-over-year gains. +
Citing import tariffs, Ford has informed its U.S. dealers that MSRPs will increase by up to $2,000 per vehicle, effective May 2. The first affected units are expected to be delivered in June. +
Nissan will tie all dealer compensation to new vehicle sales targets starting June 3, dispensing with its current 20-metric program and standardizing spiffs, according to an Automotive News report. +
All seven manufacturers and 11 brands reporting new vehicle sales to Automotive News enjoyed year-over-year increases as Americans took advantage of incentives and rushed to beat expected price hikes. +
Protective Asset Protection’s Tim Blochowiak urges dealers to create a long-term earnings strategy that includes capital and investments, a diverse F&I portfolio, risk management and more. +
Attorney Tom Oscherwitz warns the auto finance industry not to take its foot off the compliance pedal despite the Trump administration’s systematic dismantling of federal regulatory bodies. +
