When PSA Group bought Opel from General Motors, it wasn’t expected by the maker of Peugeot-maker to swipe a magic wand to make it better. However, Opel’s losses widened under the new leadership, even as the parent company saw topline and bottom line rise in 2017.
With net income jumping about 12% to about $2.4 billion (or 1.9 billion euros), the auto giant saw revenue soar 21% to about 65 billion euros.
Much to the delight of investors, the French automaker hiked proposed dividend to 0.53 euros per share from the 2016 payout of 0.48 euros per share.
PSA Group bought Opel and Vauxhall from General Motors in the latter half of 2017
Opel goes to experienced hands
PSA Group also named its veteran, Xavier Duchemin, as head of sales of its Opel and Vauxhall brands.
Duchemin will transition from his role as the PSA Retail head and will report to Peter Kuespert, Opel’s head of sales and marketing.
The current head, Ian Hucker, will now assume the role of managing director of Peugeot, Citroen, and DS Automobiles in Austria and Switzerland.
How this new leadership helps the brand is yet to be seen, but Opel — like a rebel teenager in his new home — for now, is bringing in more losses. PSA Group looks like it will be all the more understanding and forgiving, but will the shareholders tow the line?
Most Popular
Netflix (NFLX) Q1 2024 profit tops expectations; adds 9.3Mln subscribers
Streaming giant Netflix, Inc. (NASDAQ: NFLX) Thursday reported a sharp increase in net profit for the first quarter of 2024. Revenues were up 15% year-over-year. Both numbers exceeded Wall Street's
PepsiCo (PEP) to report Q1 earnings next week. Here’s what to expect
PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ: PEP) is preparing to report first-quarter results on April 23, before the opening bell. Of late, the food and beverage giant has been busy aligning its business
What to expect when Southwest Airlines (LUV) reports Q1 2024 earnings results
Shares of Southwest Airlines Co. (NYSE: LUV) were up 2% on Thursday. The stock has dropped 8% over the past one year. The airline is scheduled to report its first