By ANDREW BARY
General Motors has staged an impressive recovery since it emerged from bankruptcy protection last July, and it may go public again in what could be the hottest initial public offering of 2010.
GM's turnaround isn't as advanced as that of rival Ford Motor, which in February outsold GM for the first time in decades in the U.S. Still, Wall Street has been impressed with the auto maker's progress. GM's U.S. market share has stabilized, global costs are down, vehicle incentives and inventories have dropped, while resale values are up.
GM has some hot cars like the Chevrolet Camaro and Cadillac SRX crossover vehicle. Even once-stodgy Buick is having success with the redesigned LaCrosse and the curvy Enclave crossover.
If GM does go public in late 2010, its market value could top $50 billion, more than that of either
Ford or Germany's
Daimler, the maker of Mercedes-Benz cars. Why such a high value? GM now has a great balance sheet, thanks in large part to the generosity of the U.S. government, which pumped $50 billion into the company in 2008 and 2009.
GM ended the third quarter -- the most recent period for which results are available -- with $42 billion in cash, against $29 billion in debt and preferred-stock obligations. If total U.S. sales of cars and light trucks rise toward 14 million in 2011, GM could be very profitable.
GM also has joint ventures in China that control 15% of what has become the world's largest auto market.
The U.S. government, which now owns 60.8% of the equity in GM, is eager to see the company go public so that it can begin to cash in. The Canadian government has an 11.7% interest. A health-care trust for GM's unionized workers holds 17.5%, while creditors of the old GM have 10%.
Some intrepid investors are seeking to play new GM via the $27 billion of old GM debt that now trades for about 30 cents on the dollar. Bondholders probably will get a package of new GM equity and stock warrants after GM goes public. Investors probably should avoid GM's old stock, called
Motors Liquidation.
Sophisticated investors can play GM's revival via the debt markets, but, until the initial offering takes place, it's easier and probably safer to invest in a recovering global auto sector with shares of either Ford or Daimler.
GM's Back, Wall Street's Ready to Roll - WSJ.com