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Investing.com -- Mercedes Benz (ETR:MBGn) is ramping up its U.S. inventory—both at the wholesale level and on dealer lots—in anticipation of new tariffs set to take effect on April 3, according to Bernstein analysts.
When asked about potential pricing changes, executives suggested that no automaker would act independently, indicating that Mercedes plans to monitor how competitors adjust once the tariffs are implemented, analysts noted, who attended the carmaker’s closed call ahead of the annual results scheduled for April 30.
For the Passenger Cars segment, Mercedes guides for an adjusted EBIT margin within the fiscal year 2025 (FY25) corridor of 6-8%.
The company said that unit sales in Europe declined in Q1 2025 compared to the previous year, while the U.S. market maintained solid sales momentum.
Sales in China experienced a downturn, leading to an overall slight decrease in unit sales compared to the first quarter of 2024. Mercedes defines a ’slight’ decrease as a drop between -2.5% and -7.5%.
Mercedes noted strong performance for its AMG lineup and G-Class, with an expected top-end share of 14-15% in the first quarter of 2025, compared to 16% in the fourth quarter of 2024 and 14% in the first quarter of 2024.
For its xEVs (PHEVs and BEVs combined), Mercedes anticipates the share for the quarter to align with its full-year guidance corridor of 20-22%.
Regarding tariffs, the auto giant referenced its previous disclosure during the fiscal year 2024 results, which anticipated a 100 basis points impact on its margin before any mitigation measures, based on tariffs increasing to 10% from 2.5%.
“The company is evaluating the situation but suggested grossing this figure up linearly is reasonable based on the latest announcement that takes the tariff level to 27.5%,” Bernstein analysts led by Stephen Reitman said.
Mercedes has taken precautionary steps by increasing inventory levels in the U.S., both at the wholesale level and at dealer lots. The company is also closely monitoring the pricing actions of its peers.
In the Vans division, Mercedes expects unit sales to be lower year-over-year due to a high comparison base from the first quarter of 2024. However, thanks to a better mix and pricing, the Vans segment is projected to be within, or possibly toward the upper end of, the full-year guidance margin corridor of 10-12% for the first quarter of 2025.
As for the Mobility segment, competition in China is impacting the financing penetration rate and portfolio. The company expects a return on equity (RoE) within the full-year guidance range of 8-9% for the quarter.