Posts Tagged ‘auto sales’

Sirius XM Radio (NASDAQ:SIRI): Strong New Car Sales in January Indicates a Good Start for 2012 According to TrueCar Official Forecast

1 Comment
Posted 25 Jan 2012 — by Demian Russian
Category Analyst Coverage, Automotive, Sirius XM (SIRI) News

By Demian Russian

Sirius XM Radio (NASDAQ:SIRI) - New Car SalesWith SIrius XM Radio (NASDAQ:SIRI) CEO Mel Karmazin pre-announcing that the company has beat their 2011 year-end net subscriber guidance, adding ~550,000 net new subscribers in the fourth quarter and ~1,700,000 net new subscribers in 2011, investors are now focused on how 2012 is shaping up so far. While Sirius XM is making great new strides in penetrating the used auto market with free promotional trial programs, North American new vehicle sales remains the largest driver fueling Sirius XM’s subscriber growth trajectory.

Premier auto industry tracker TrueCar released their official January 2012 auto sales forecast today and is seeing continuing strength in the U.S. auto sector, noting that January retail sales will be up for the sixth straight month of year-over-year growth.

The underlying consumer demand for new vehicles continues to improve at a steady pace. For the first time in several years, we are starting the year off with a warm and fuzzy feeling of the good-old-days where the industry and the consumers are once again focused on the excitement of the new cars –and not which car company is going to survive. The positive momentum from the end of 2011 and a reasonable January 2012 sales rate will likely take industry sales very close to 14 million units this year.

– Jesse Toprak, Vice President, Market Intelligence, TrueCar.com

According to TrueCar’s January 2012 official forecast, new light vehicle sales in the U.S. for the month of January will total 874, 481 units, up 6.7% year-over-year and down 29.6% month-over-month, which translates into a SAAR (Seasonally Adjusted Annualized Rate) of 13.6 million, up from 12.7 million in January 2011 and flat month-over-month. Read More

To discuss this article or any stock, please visit The Playground Discussion Forum!

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Sirius XM Radio (NASDAQ:SIRI) and December Auto Sales: Highest Unit Sales Since March 2011 According to TrueCar

4 Comments
Posted 27 Dec 2011 — by Demian Russian
Category Analyst Coverage, Automotive, Media, Radio Industry, Sirius XM (SIRI) News

By Demian Russian

Sirius XM Radio (NASDAQ:SIRI) and December Auto SalesWith Sirius XM Radio’s (NASDAQ:SIRI) subscription radio business tied so closely to North American auto sales and Satellite Radio activations at the OEM level, and with the company needing to bring in 442,000 net new subscribers during the fourth quarter to meet its 2011 full-year subscriber guidance for 1.6 million net additions, investors are closely monitoring the U.S auto industry for continuing signs of strength heading into the close of the year.

TrueCar released their official December 2011 sales and inventives forecast today and is expecting total new light vehicle sales in the U.S. (including fleet) for the month of December will be 1,236,911 units, representing an 8.1% year-over-year and a 24.4% month-over-month improvement. This translates into a SAAR (Seasonally Adjusted Annualized Rate) of 13.5 million, down from a November SAAR of 13.7 million but up year-over-year from a December 2010 SAAR of 12.5 million.

December’s sales rate was a continuation of the rather slow and steady recovery that now symbolizes 2011. This year was absent of a blockbuster sales month but we see this pace of growth as healthy and sustainable in the coming year where the industry is going to sell nearly 14 million units based on the merits of its products and improved economy.

– Jesse Toprak, Vice President of Industry Trends and Insights for TrueCar.com

While fleet and rental sales are expected to make up 19% of the month’s total sales, TrueCar expects retail sales to be up 8.7% year-over-year and 26% month-over-month. Higher retail sales are traditionally more beneficial to Sirius XM, carrying higher penetration and conversion rates. Read More

To discuss this article or any stock, please visit The Playground Discussion Forum!

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Sirius XM (NASDAQ:SIRI) Utilizes SAS Analytics

Comments Off
Posted 30 Nov 2011 — by Demian Russian
Category Media, Radio Industry, Sirius XM (SIRI) News, Technology

By Demian Russian
Sirius XM Radio (NASDAQ:SIRI) Utilizes SAS Analytics
Sirius XM Radio (NASDAQ:SIRI) and SAS Analytics have announced that the Satellite Radio service provider will now be utilizing predictive analytics software and services from SAS, the leader in business analytics. With the aid of predictive analytics from SAS, Sirius XM will be modeling its customer behavior patterns to better guide its marketing initiatives. Targeting the right customer, at the right time, with the right message results in more effective marketing, helping Sirius XM to grow its subscriber base while also reducing costs.

We use SAS Analytics to project costs and benefits before making meaningful investments at Sirius XM Radio. What looks like tiny incremental gains in performance mean a lot to us. With 20 million customers, a 50-cent improvement in profitability delivers millions of dollars to our bottom line.

– Kaiser Fung, Vice President of Strategic Analytics at SiriusXM and the author of ‘Numbers Rule Your World: The Hidden Influence of Probability and Statistics on Everything You Do’

Sirius XM will now be utilizing SAS Analytics’ award-winning data mining software, SAS Enterprise Miner, to exploit its massive stores of data to craft more effective, as well as lower cost, marketing initiatives. “Analytics influence business decisions when analytics pros understand the landscape and can share their findings with executives in that context. Especially when analytical intelligence conflicts with conventional wisdom, if we make the benefits clear, the numbers win over skeptics and significantly benefit the organization,” said Kaiser Fung, Vice President of Strategic Analytics at SiriusXM Radio. In addition, Sirius XM will also be utilizing SAS Analytics’ advanced statistical software, JMP Pro, for data visualization, discovery and exploration.

Tapan Patel, Global Marketing Manager for Predictive Analytics and Data Mining at SAS, will be the special guest on this evening’s edition of Playground Radio for an exclusive, live interview. Read More

To discuss this article or any stock, please visit The Playground Discussion Forum!

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Sirius XM Radio (NASDAQ:SIRI) and Auto Sales: Edmunds Releases Official November Forecast

Comments Off
Posted 29 Nov 2011 — by Demian Russian
Category Analyst Coverage, Automotive, Sirius XM (SIRI) News

By Demian Russian

EdmundsWith Sirius XM Radio (NASDAQ:SIRI) needing to bring in 442,000 new subscribers during the fourth quarter to meet its full-year subscriber guidance of 1.6 million net additions and the company deriving the large majority of its new subscribers additions from OEM Satellite Radio activations, investors are closely watching the auto sales channel for signs off strength heading into the close of year.

There were positive forces in the auto market in November, as more inventory was available and automakers began year-end holiday sales events. Deal-oriented messages work more effectively than ever before.

– Jessica Caldwell, Senior Analyst, Edmunds.com

Edmunds.com released their official November auto sales forecast today and reports that they are seeing positive forces in the auto industry which will push the U.S. new vehicle sales SAAR (Seasonally Adjusted Annual Rate) for November to the highest level of the year. Edmunds is forecasting total November new car sales of 991,296, which will translate into a 13.6 million SAAR. Read More

To discuss this article or any stock, please visit The Playground Discussion Forum!

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Sirius XM (NASDAQ:SIRI) and November Auto Sales: Highest SAAR for New Vehicle Sales Since Cash for Clunkers According to TrueCar.com

Comments Off
Posted 23 Nov 2011 — by Demian Russian
Category Analyst Coverage, Automotive, Sirius XM (SIRI) News

By Demian Russian

Auto Sales - Sirius XM Radio (NASDAQ:SIRI)With Sirius XM Radio’s (NASDAQ:SIRI) subscription business tied so closely to OEM Satellite Radio activations, many investors have their eyes on continuing signs of recovery in the U.S. auto industry.

TrueCar.com released their official November 2011 sales and inventives forecast today and is forecasting that the new U.S. light vehicle sales SAAR (Seasonally Adjusted Annualized Rate) for the month of November will reach 13.3 million, up month-over-month from 13.2 million in October and up 11.5% year-over-year from 12.3 million in November 2010. Total new light vehicle sales in the U.S. (including fleet) is expected to be 972,712 units, up 11.5 percent year-over-year from November 2010, but down 4.7% month-over-month from October 2011 (on an adjusted basis). This translates to the highest new vehicle sales SAAR since Cash for Clunkers.

We’ve seen six straight months of year-over-year gains for new vehicle sales, which shows positive momentum for the auto industry. There is a strong possibility that we could reach a 14 million SAAR next month.

– Jesse Toprak, Vice President of Industry Trends and Insights for TrueCar.com

According to TrueCar’s forecast, retail auto sales are up 12.2% year-over-year, with fleet and rental sales expected to make up 19% of the total industry sales for the month. TrueCar is seeing an uptick in incentive spending by the automakers across the board in November and are forecasting that the average incentive spending per unit for the month will come in at $2,534. Read More

To discuss this article or any stock, please visit The Playground Discussion Forum!

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Sirius XM (NASDAQ:SIRI): RBC Capital Markets Analyst David Bank Maintains $2.00 Price Target

2 Comments
Posted 04 Nov 2011 — by Demian Russian
Category Analyst Coverage, Media, Sirius XM (SIRI) News

By Demian Russian

RBC Capital Markets on Sirius XM Radio (NASDAQ:SIRI)RBC Capital Markets Global Media Analyst David Bank issues a new research report weighing in on Sirius XM Radio’s (NASDAQ:SIRI) third quarter earnings results, maintaining his previous $2.00 price target and Sector Perform/Speculative Risk rating on the equity. While Bank describes Sirius XM’s third quarter results as being less than perfect, it’s the stock valuation as opposed to any operational issues which he says “keeps us on the sidelines.”

Sirius XM’s reported Q3 net subscriber additions of 334k came in below Bank’s estimate for 385k. According to Bank, the weakness in net sub adds lead to the company reporting higher EBITDA, as a result of the associated SAC (Subscriber Acquisition Costs) being lower. While net subscriber additions came in lower as a result of lower net promotional subs, Bank says, “Quite frankly, we aren’t sure why net promotional sub additions came in ~65k below our expectations.” He says that part of it may have been the result of a weaker U.S. auto sales SAAR during the summer months and a slowdown in the OEM production cycle in Asia, due to residual impact from the earthquake in Japan. While Bank reduced some of his full-year 2011 estimates slightly, he expects a bounce in the fourth quarter due to “solid OEM trends in 3Q11 sales and production.” Read More

To discuss this article or any stock, please visit The Playground Discussion Forum!

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Standard & Poor’s Upgrades Sirius XM Radio’s (NASDAQ:SIRI) Corporate Credit Rating on Improved EBITDA and Debt Leverage

2 Comments
Posted 26 Oct 2011 — by Demian Russian
Category Analyst Coverage, Media, Sirius XM (SIRI) News

By Demian Russian
Standard & Poor's - Sirius XM Radio (NASDAQ:SIRI)
Standard & Poor’s upgraded Sirius XM Radio’s (NASDAQ:SIRI) corporate credit rating today from ‘BB-’ to ‘BB’ with a stable outlook. Standard & Poor’s Director of Corporate Ratings Hal Diamond cited Sirius XM’s improved EBITDA generation and debt leverage as driving the upgrade. In addition, Diamond noted that he believes Sirius XM’s “progress in credit quality is sustainable.”

The stable rating outlook reflects our view that a continued recovery in auto sales will support revenue growth and maintain credit measures appropriate for the ‘BB’ rating over the intermediate term.

– Hal Diamond, Standard & Poor’s Director of Corporate Ratings

Diamond said the credit upgrade reflects Sirius XM’s “declining debt leverage, improving discretionary cash flow, and the prospects for continued improvement in credit measures through the remainder of 2011 and 2012.” While Diamond expects Sirius XM’s debt levels will “remain relatively stable,” he believes that through its continuing EBITDA growth the company will continue to reduce its gross adjusted debt leverage ratio to the mid-3x area by the end of 2012. Read More

To discuss this article or any stock, please visit The Playground Discussion Forum!

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Sirius XM (NASDAQ:SIRI) and Auto Sales: New Vehicle Sales Expected to Reach Highest SAAR in Over Two Years According to TrueCar Forecast

3 Comments
Posted 25 Oct 2011 — by Demian Russian
Category Analyst Coverage, Automotive, Sirius XM (SIRI) News

By Demian Russian

TrueCarWith Sirius XM Radio’s (NASDAQ:SIRI) business tied so closely to its OEM partners and new vehicle sales, many investors are watching for continuing signs of stability and recovery in the U.S. auto industry.

TrueCar released their official October 2011 auto sales and incentives forecast today and is projecting that the new light vehicle sales SAAR (Seasonally Adjusted Annualized Rate) for the month of October will reach 13.4 million, up month-over-month from 13.1 million in September and up year-over-year from 12.2 million in October 2010, the highest SAAR in over two years and the highest since August of 2009. TrueCar is forecasting that total U.S. light vehicle sales (including fleet) for the month of October will total 1,035,042 units, up 9.0% year-over-year from October 2010.

Consumers are no longer dragging their feet on new vehicle purchases as they feel the economy is moving in the right direction. This will be the fifth straight month where SAAR will rise and the highest we’ve seen in over two years.

–  Jesse Toprak, Vice President of Industry Trends & Insights at TrueCar, Inc.

While TrueCar expects fleet and rental sales to make up 20% of October’s total industry sales, total retail vehicle sales, which traditionally carry a higher conversion rate for Sirius XM than do fleet sales, are expected to be up 9.8% year-over-year and 0.5% month-over-month. Read More

To discuss this article or any stock, please visit The Playground Discussion Forum!

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Wunderlich Securities Analyst Matthew Harrigan on the Dueling OEM/Dealer Announcements from Sirius XM (NASDAQ:SIRI) and Pandora (NYSE:P)

Comments Off
Posted 07 Oct 2011 — by Demian Russian
Category Analyst Coverage, Internet Radio, Media, Sirius XM (SIRI) News

By Demian Russian

Wunderlich Securities - Sirius XM (NASDAQ:SIRI) - Matthew Harrigan - analyst coverageWunderlich Securities Media Analyst Matthew Harrigan issues a new research report weighing in on the recent “dueling Japanese OEM/Dealer announcements” from Sirius XM Radio (NASDAQ:SIRI) and Pandora (NYSE:P). While Harrigan views Sirius XM’s valuation as becoming more attractive at current trading levels, he maintains a HOLD rating and $2.00 price target on the equity.

The stock is manifestly becoming more attractive at current levels, but we are still concerned about relative valuation within the media sector and hardening out SatRad 2.0 capabilities within Sirius XM’s overall mobile and online strategy.

– Matthew Harrigan, Wunderlich Securities

Harrigan believes that Sirius XM’s newly announced deal with Nissan and Infinity dealers to offer free Sirius XM trial subscriptions on Satellite Radio equipped pre-owned vehicles compliments a similar program with General Motors (NYSE:GM) announced in June, along with trial subscriptions offered by the German automakers BMW, Mercedes, and Volkswagen. On yesterday’s announcement from Pandora that an embedded version of its service would be available on 2012 Toyota (NYSE:TM) Camrys and Tacomas, he said, “This is the realization of the January 2011 CES announcement that Pandora would be endemic on Toyota’s “Entune” infotainment system.” While noting that iPhone, Blackberry, and Android smartphone data plans can all be utilized to stream Pandora in Toyota vehicles, Harrigan believes that Sirius XM’s wide array of content and continued listener interest in terrestrial radio create more important challenges than the cost of streaming. Read More

To discuss this article or any stock, please visit The Playground Discussion Forum!

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Sirius XM Radio (NASDAQ:SIRI) and Auto Sales: TrueCar Forecasts Highest New Vehicle Sales SAAR Since April

1 Comment
Posted 27 Sep 2011 — by Demian Russian
Category Analyst Coverage, Automotive, Sirius XM (SIRI) News

By Demian Russian

TrueCarWith Sirius XM Radio’s (NASDAQ: SIRI) business model tied so strongly to new U.S. auto sales, many investors are looking for continuing signs of recovery/stability in the OEM channel — especially with all of the talk and fear out there that the U.S. economy may be slipping back into a recession.

TrueCar.com released their official September new auto sales forecast today and is forecasting that the new vehicle SAAR (Seasonally Adjusted Annualized Rate) for the month of September will come in the highest since April. TrueCar is forecasting that total U.S. light vehicle sales for the month of September will total 1,054,599 units, up 10.1% year-over-year and translating into a SAAR of 13.1 million.

New vehicle sales are doing particularly well, even with worries of a recession and another wild month for the financial markets in September. If the current trends hold, we expect 2011 total new light vehicle sales to be 12.75 million units — up 10 percent from 2010.

– Jesse Toprak, Vice President of Industry Trends & Insights at TrueCar, Inc.

While TrueCar is expecting fleet and rental sales to make up 20% of total new vehicle sales for the month, they are expecting retail sales to be up 10.7% year-over-year and 0.2% month-over-month. This is good news for Sirius XM investors, as Satellite Radio’s penetration rate is traditionally higher in retail vehicles than in fleet. Read More

To discuss this article or any stock, please visit The Playground Discussion Forum!

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
← Previous Entries