The global automotive market continues to grow, but rising risks are dampening expectations for the next quarters. Despite this, the automotive stock indices have shown a significant improvement compared to the overall economic indices. The UBS index for automotive industry raw materials is currently 38% above last year's level. The average sales growth of manufacturers since last year is 12%. GM continues to lead with a 16.2% sales growth, but Ford, Daimler, Hyundai-Kia, and Toyota are also showing strong growth. Audi is the only one significantly lagging behind. The sales of the Volkswagen Group are developing positively and have increased by 9.7% since last year. However, the gap with Toyota is widening despite higher sales. Daimler leads in terms of profitability, while Toyota is losing its margin.
