General Motors (NYSE:GM) Reaches New 1-Year High Following Better-Than-Expected Earnings

General Motors Company (NYSE:GM) (TSE:GMM.U) shares hit a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Wednesday following a better than expected earnings announcement. The company traded as high as $87.31 and last traded at $86.39, with a volume of 23619201 shares. The stock had previously closed at $79.43.

The auto manufacturer reported $2.51 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.26 by $0.25. The business had revenue of $45.29 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $45.81 billion. General Motors had a return on equity of 12.29% and a net margin of 1.62%.The company’s revenue for the quarter was down 5.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $1.92 earnings per share. General Motors has set its FY 2026 guidance at 9.750-10.500 EPS.

General Motors Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, March 19th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 6th will be paid a dividend of $0.18 per share. This is an increase from General Motors’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.15. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 6th. This represents a $0.72 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.8%. General Motors’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 12.07%.

General Motors announced that its board has authorized a share repurchase program on Tuesday, January 27th that authorizes the company to buyback $6.00 billion in shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the auto manufacturer to buy up to 8.1% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are usually a sign that the company’s management believes its shares are undervalued.

General Motors News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting General Motors this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Adjusted Q4 earnings beat expectations ($2.51 vs. ~$2.20 consensus), driven by stronger demand for SUVs and pickup trucks — supports near-term profitability narrative. Reuters: GM core profit rises
• Positive Sentiment: Board raised the quarterly dividend 20% to $0.18 and approved a $6.0 billion share repurchase program — direct positives for EPS support and shareholder return. PR Newswire: GM releases 2025 results
• Positive Sentiment: Market reaction to the beat and capital return moves pushed the stock toward record highs as traders priced in near-term cash-generation strength. Schaeffer’s: Stock surges
• Neutral Sentiment: GM Financial reported mixed results with higher full-year net income but some quarter-to-quarter variability and an impairment — adds complexity but limited direct market-moving surprise. BusinessWire: GM Financial results
• Neutral Sentiment: Operational steps to improve EV ownership experience (myBrand apps integration with Electrify America) are incremental positives for EV retention but not a major near-term revenue driver. PR Newswire: Electrify America integration
• Negative Sentiment: GM recorded a large one-time EV-related charge (~$7.2B) that produced a Q4 GAAP net loss and underscores risks around the company’s EV strategy and demand assumptions. MarketWatch: $7.2B EV charge
• Negative Sentiment: FY2026 EPS guidance (9.75–10.50) came in below Street consensus (~11.9), signaling cautious outlook and limiting upside for multiple-quarter estimates. PR Newswire: 2026 guidance
• Negative Sentiment: Revenue was down ~5.1% YoY and management flagged tariff exposure ($3–4B) and slower EV adoption — pressure on margins and growth assumptions. WSJ: EVs weighed on bottom line
• Negative Sentiment: Labor payouts: UAW hourly workers will receive profit-sharing checks (one-time ~$10,500) while salaried global bonuses are reduced — mixed implications (near-term cash outlay vs. cost discipline). MLive: Workers getting profit-sharing

Analysts Set New Price Targets

GM has been the subject of a number of research reports. Royal Bank Of Canada lifted their price objective on shares of General Motors from $77.00 to $86.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 22nd. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of General Motors in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. Barclays boosted their price target on shares of General Motors from $85.00 to $100.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday. UBS Group reissued a “buy” rating on shares of General Motors in a research note on Friday, January 9th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group set a $104.00 target price on shares of General Motors in a report on Tuesday. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fourteen have issued a Buy rating, four have issued a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, General Motors presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $80.27.

Insider Activity

In related news, CAO Christopher Hatto sold 7,724 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, November 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $72.00, for a total value of $556,128.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer owned 12,007 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $864,504. The trade was a 39.15% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. 0.54% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of General Motors

Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its stake in General Motors by 11.5% in the 2nd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 110,759,703 shares of the auto manufacturer’s stock valued at $5,450,485,000 after buying an additional 11,418,367 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank bought a new position in shares of General Motors during the 2nd quarter worth about $444,319,000. Viking Global Investors LP lifted its stake in General Motors by 81.1% during the second quarter. Viking Global Investors LP now owns 13,018,874 shares of the auto manufacturer’s stock worth $640,659,000 after purchasing an additional 5,830,050 shares during the period. Two Sigma Investments LP boosted its stake in General Motors by 348.4% in the 3rd quarter. Two Sigma Investments LP now owns 3,549,170 shares of the auto manufacturer’s stock valued at $216,393,000 after buying an additional 2,757,695 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Worldquant Millennium Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of General Motors by 436.8% in the 2nd quarter. Worldquant Millennium Advisors LLC now owns 2,658,525 shares of the auto manufacturer’s stock valued at $130,826,000 after purchasing an additional 2,163,274 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 92.67% of the company’s stock.

General Motors Stock Performance

The stock has a market capitalization of $80.59 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.38, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.75 and a beta of 1.31. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $79.17 and its 200 day simple moving average is $66.37. The company has a quick ratio of 1.06, a current ratio of 1.23 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.40.

About General Motors

General Motors Company (NYSE: GM) is a global automotive manufacturer headquartered in Detroit, Michigan, that designs, builds and sells cars, trucks, crossovers and electric vehicles, and provides related parts and services. Founded in 1908, GM has long been one of the world’s largest automakers and has evolved into a multi-brand company whose primary marques include Chevrolet, GMC, Cadillac and Buick. Beyond vehicle manufacturing, GM’s operations encompass vehicle financing, connected services and advanced mobility initiatives.

GM develops and markets a broad portfolio of products and technologies, including internal-combustion and battery-electric vehicles, vehicle components and on-board connectivity services.