Economics
Peak Auto? These Charts Point to Industry, U.S. Economy Concerns
- Months’ supply is highest of any expansion period since 1989
- Automakers’ incentives failed to stoke demand in March
The Correlation Between Auto Sales and the Stock Market
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America’s auto industry was running full throttle at the end of 2016, with sales at the fastest pace in more than 11 years. Now the Check Engine light is on.
Purchases of cars and light trucks declined in March even as automakers employed heavy incentives to spark demand and reduce inventory. The economic implications of the sector’s slowdown will probably be more modest but are likely to include production cutbacks, tempered consumer spending and fewer employment opportunities on the nation’s assembly lines.