Market Insights and Outlook - Cox Automotive Inc.

Smoke on Cars Chief Economist Jonathan Smoke shares his insights on macroeconomic trends, business cycles, demand and the economic factors influencing the automotive industry today. See Insights ›

Commentary & Voices Our team of analysts and experts share their reactions, insights and unique perspectives on the behaviors, data and industry moves that are affecting the broader automotive business. See Insights ›

Data Point The automotive industry is a data-driven business. These are the data points that our team of experts and analysts find most interesting, offered with insights to explain why it matters and why you should know. See Insights ›

Economy & Trends Dynamic economic factors and market trends continually influence our industry, and Cox Automotive’s economists and analysts provide data analysis, forecasts and reports to enhance the understanding of how these factors affect the automotive marketplace. See Insights ›

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Auto Market Weekly Summary 02/18/2019 Most data points suggest that the year has started off much weaker than last year began. On the positive side, lower energy prices are keeping inflation in check and boosting real wage gains, and consumer sentiment has partially rebounded so far in February. Last Week’s Recap: Consumers started pulling back on spending at the end of last year, and real GDP growth will likely come in much… Read Article

Market Insights Smoke on Cars Economy & Trends

Auto Market Weekly Summary 02/11/2019 While January is a tough month to judge exactly where the economy and vehicle sales will go for the full year, the month was rocky, and we do expect the year to be rocky as well. Last week’s recap: New- and used-vehicle sales were impacted by frigid temperatures in much of the country during the final week of the month. Declining demand for auto loans reported… Read Article

Market Insights Smoke on Cars Economy & Trends

Auto Market Weekly Summary 02/04/2019 Just as the federal government went back to work this week, most of the nation fell under the grip of a brutally cold polar vortex. January is often tough to judge economic trends due to weather, and this year is no exception. This year we also had to deal with the government shutdown impacting some parts of the country more than others and taking a toll… Read Article

Market Insights Smoke on Cars Economy & Trends

Auto Market Weekly Summary 01/28/2019 The government shutdown limited the amount of new economic data to review. With everyone back to work, we expect to see a flood of new data to review this week. Looking ahead: With the government back up and running, we expect to obtain missed data from the last three weeks along with January consumer confidence, fourth quarter GDP, December personal income and spending, December pending home… Read Article

Market Insights Smoke on Cars Economy & Trends

New Brand Scorecards Study Debuts at NADA 2019 01/24/2019 Jonathan Smoke, chief economist for Cox Automotive, and Jason Stein, publisher of Automotive News, debuted the new Retail Brand Scorecards Study at the Automotive News Retail Forum at NADA today. This annual study measures and compares six areas of performance relevant to a franchise dealer’s ability to succeed. Retail Brand Scorecards are created with data powered by Cox  Automotive in association with Automotive News. In the… Read Article

Market Insights Smoke on Cars

Auto Market Weekly Summary 01/22/2019 Now the longest in history and stretching beyond 30 days, the government shutdown is having a negative impact on consumer confidence and the economy. It also has hindered our ability to get a full read on the economy since some government-provided data is unavailable due to the shutdown. Looking ahead: We’ll watch for any sign that the government shutdown is nearing an end. We’ll monitor home sales,… Read Article

Market Insights Smoke on Cars Economy & Trends

Auto Market Weekly Summary 01/14/2019 The government shutdown and a major auto show are the focus of information and data gathering this week. Looking ahead: This week we’ll be monitoring news from the North American International Auto Show in Detroit and the events surrounding it. We will also review fresh data on new home construction and sales, retail sales, and consumer sentiment. Last week’s recap: The government shutdown is hindering our… Read Article

Market Insights Smoke on Cars Economy & Trends

Taxpayers May Be in for a Surprise This Spring 01/11/2019 The auto market and the broader economy depend on a seasonal bump provided by the more than 100 million Americans who receive tax refunds each spring. This spring, however, could be very different. Due to last year’s tax reform, some consumers may be surprised to learn they are receiving no tax refund, a smaller one than they expected or, worse, they have to pay more to… Read Article

Market Insights Smoke on Cars Economy & Trends

Roller-Coaster Year for Used-Vehicle Values 01/09/2019 We released December Manheim Used Vehicle Value Index (MUVVI) yesterday and closed the door on what was a truly remarkable year for used-vehicle values. As we started the year, we told you to expect a 3 percent increase in the MUVVI in 2018, and we told you to expect a roller coaster ride with weakness in Q1 and strength in Q2. The call on the roller… Read Article

Market Insights Smoke on Cars Economy & Trends

Auto Market Weekly Summary 01/07/2019 The new year kicked off with positive reports on new-vehicle sales and the job market. Still, the economy and auto market are less certain with more risks to the downside in 2019. Looking ahead: While 2018 was a very strong year for both the economy and vehicle sales, it will be nearly impossible to repeat. The impact from tax reform will be far less pronounced in… Read Article

Jonathan Smoke Market Insights Smoke on Cars Economy & Trends