Luxurious vehicles, EVs to gas Hyundai’s China, U.S. gross sales in 2021 Q4 revenue jumps

SEOUL (Reuters) – Hyundai Motor Co stated on Tuesday it expects sales in United States and China to surge this yr, driven by the start of new electrical cars and sporting activities utility autos (SUVs), right after reporting its best quarterly revenue in around 3 yrs.

Hyundai’s holiday-quarter revenue jumped 57% on a lot more demand from customers for premium-margin SUVs, but all round income volumes fell 5% amid a broader financial weak spot thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The promising outlook is a testomony to Hyundai’s significant electrical car or truck (EV) press. The business, which collectively with affiliate Kia Corp is amongst the world’s top 10 automakers, is before long predicted to introduce an EV-only system that will use its very own battery technologies to lower time and costs.

Hyundai, on the other hand, did not present on its earnings simply call any update on a short while ago noted talks between it and Apple Inc about an electric car or truck and battery tie-up.

On income, the automaker stated it expects a 12% bounce in its most significant market place, North The usa, in 2021. Its gross sales in the fourth quarter ended December slipped 2% in the region.

“With our lineup with new models ready to start in the United States, we aim to increase our market place share to 4.8% this year,” Senior Vice President Koo Za-yong stated on the call.

Last year, the business managed to somewhat advance its U.S. current market share to 4.4%, aided by income of the Palisade SUV and Kona EV, he explained, in spite of a 10% slide in revenue.

Analysts hope a increase to Hyundai’s EV gross sales this yr even with a worldwide remember of Kona Electrical thanks to fires.

Hyundai stated it expects profits to jump 28% in China, the world’s leading motor vehicle market place where it also options to release the electric powered model of its Mistra sedan this calendar year.

“Last year, Hyundai basically did not do much in China, even though other automakers released new products as the Chinese auto industry saw a quick restoration amid the pandemic … Hyundai’s China technique would seem to focus on electric vehicles,” stated Lee Han-joon, an analyst at KTB Financial commitment & Securities.

Hyundai expects to market 562,000 automobiles in China in 2021, and estimates revenue in North America will bounce to 909,000.

Most effective QUARTER Considering the fact that 2017

In the fourth quarter, Hyundai earned 1.3 trillion won ($1.18 billion), the highest because at the very least early 2017.

But it fell brief of an typical analyst estimate of 1.5 trillion gained, compiled by Refinitiv, due to a robust received.

The South Korean currency rose about 7% from the dollar in the a few months to December. A more robust won erodes the worth of overseas income for South Korean companies.

Hyundai shares, up much more than a third this thirty day period led by information of the Apple tie-up, fell about 3% on Tuesday.

The broader KOSPI was down 2%.

Hyundai’s quarterly earnings rose 5% to 29.2 trillion gained as it saw reliable demand for its cars in the United States and emerging markets such as India despite the pandemic.

Whilst need for its automobiles from car or truck-rental organizations that purchase in bulk is continue to tepid, analysts said, revenue of its luxurious cars are predicted to keep on being a vivid spot.

Hyundai experienced sent a decline in the Oct quarter as it provisioned for a significant engine-high-quality related invoice.

“Hyundai experienced a good fourth quarter, especially in the United States, where better regular-advertising-value cars and trucks this sort of as SUVs observed increasing demand from customers as people shun public transit due to the fact of COVID-19 and very low gasoline charges,” KTB’s Lee reported.

“Holiday discounts assisted as nicely.”

(Reporting by Heekyong Yang and Joyce Lee Modifying by Sayantani Ghosh and Himani Sarkar)