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On Monday, Bernstein SocGen Group initiated coverage on Honda (NYSE:HMC) Motor (7267:JP) (NYSE: HMC) with a Market Perform rating and a price target of JPY1,250.00. Analyst Masahiro Akita highlighted Honda’s status as a global automaker and a leader in the motorcycle market, with a forward-looking goal to achieve 100% Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) sales by 2040. The $41.15 billion market cap company, currently trading at an attractive P/E ratio of 6.09, plans to channel JPY 10 trillion into electric and self-driving vehicle technologies by the end of fiscal year March 31. According to InvestingPro analysis, Honda appears undervalued based on its Fair Value estimates.
Akita noted the recent improvement in Honda’s consolidated profitability, expecting a 6.8% margin in the fiscal year ending March 2024. However, the profitability of the automotive sector specifically remains a concern, with a lower margin of 4.1% projected for the same period. Honda faces several challenges, including higher than average research and development (R&D) and capital expenditure (CAPEX), a shrinking market share in China and the ASEAN region, elevated sales incentives, and the potential impact of import tariffs in the United States.
Despite ending merger talks with Nissan (OTC:NSANY), Honda’s high investment costs and declining volumes present a significant challenge. The analyst suggested that there is potential for Honda to seek strategic collaborations, particularly with Nissan, and to strengthen its relationship with Sony (NYSE:SONY), as the success of their joint venture on the co-developed Afeela model could be pivotal. InvestingPro data reveals Honda maintains a strong financial health score of "GOOD" and has consistently paid dividends for 34 consecutive years. For detailed insights and additional ProTips about Honda’s financial outlook, visit InvestingPro.
In other recent news, Honda Motor has announced the resignation of its Executive Vice President, Shinji Aoyama, due to allegations of inappropriate conduct during a social gathering. The company is currently considering a new management structure in response to the incident. Meanwhile, a potential partnership between Honda and Toyota Motor (NYSE:TM) is under discussion, where Honda may procure hybrid electric vehicle batteries from Toyota’s North Carolina facility. This deal, if confirmed, could help Honda reduce costs by bypassing tariffs, as noted by Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) analysts.
In another development, the planned merger between Honda and Nissan has been officially canceled. The two companies had initially agreed to merge operations by 2026, but negotiations faltered, particularly after Honda proposed making Nissan a subsidiary. Despite the merger’s cancellation, Honda and Nissan will continue to collaborate on automotive technology. Additionally, the joint venture IONNA, which includes Honda, has moved to a full-scale national release, aiming to add over 1,000 charging bays by the end of 2025.
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