Canadian auto dealers are reporting their highest level of lease transactions since July, suggesting the possibility automakers are inching back into leasing after pulling back last summer.
Retailers surveyed said 22% of the deals they struck with customers on new cars during the first 11 days in January were leases, according to data released yesterday by J. D. Power & Associates.
Leases dropped down to 17% of Canadian transactions in November after representing more than 40% of the market for several years.
"It's possible we're seeing some loosening up of the [credit] situation, illustrated by a move back to lease," J. D. Power analyst Tom Libby said yesterday on a conference call discussing the Canadian auto market.
Automaker captive finance companies like Chrysler Financial are also slowly clawing back their share of the retail auto finance business in Canada, Mr. Libby said.
General Motors Corp. and Chrysler LLC pulled back on subsidized leasing in July after credit market pressures and declining residual values for trucks and SUVs in particular made car leasing less profitable for them.
The two automakers told their dealers to steer their customers to finance or cash transactions instead.
Chrysler has blamed its inability to secure lease funding in the capital markets as one reason for its double-digit sales decline in November and December.
"We need that lease funding available in the marketplace to allow consumers to be able to purchase vehicles," Reid Bigland, Chrysler Canada president, said in an interview.
The U. S. Treasury aimed yesterday to help Chrysler do just that, approving a US$1.5-billion loan to Chrysler Financial so it can extend new loans to car buyers. GMAC LLC, the auto lender tied to GM, became a bank holding company and won US$6-billion in support from Washington last month.
The Canadian government pledged similar help in December but has yet to say how it will do so.
J. D. Power is forecasting new vehicle sales of between 1.4 million and 1.6 million units in Canada this year. The annual sales rate in 2008's fourth quarter was 1.48 million units.
"Any recovery is likely to be quite slow," said J. D. Power economist Robert Schnorbus. "There is still lots of risk, lots of uncertainty.
nvanpraet@nationalpost.com
Source: Financial Post
Retailers surveyed said 22% of the deals they struck with customers on new cars during the first 11 days in January were leases, according to data released yesterday by J. D. Power & Associates.
Leases dropped down to 17% of Canadian transactions in November after representing more than 40% of the market for several years.
"It's possible we're seeing some loosening up of the [credit] situation, illustrated by a move back to lease," J. D. Power analyst Tom Libby said yesterday on a conference call discussing the Canadian auto market.
Automaker captive finance companies like Chrysler Financial are also slowly clawing back their share of the retail auto finance business in Canada, Mr. Libby said.
General Motors Corp. and Chrysler LLC pulled back on subsidized leasing in July after credit market pressures and declining residual values for trucks and SUVs in particular made car leasing less profitable for them.
The two automakers told their dealers to steer their customers to finance or cash transactions instead.
Chrysler has blamed its inability to secure lease funding in the capital markets as one reason for its double-digit sales decline in November and December.
"We need that lease funding available in the marketplace to allow consumers to be able to purchase vehicles," Reid Bigland, Chrysler Canada president, said in an interview.
The U. S. Treasury aimed yesterday to help Chrysler do just that, approving a US$1.5-billion loan to Chrysler Financial so it can extend new loans to car buyers. GMAC LLC, the auto lender tied to GM, became a bank holding company and won US$6-billion in support from Washington last month.
The Canadian government pledged similar help in December but has yet to say how it will do so.
J. D. Power is forecasting new vehicle sales of between 1.4 million and 1.6 million units in Canada this year. The annual sales rate in 2008's fourth quarter was 1.48 million units.
"Any recovery is likely to be quite slow," said J. D. Power economist Robert Schnorbus. "There is still lots of risk, lots of uncertainty.
nvanpraet@nationalpost.com
Source: Financial Post
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