Shortage

Shortage of Suzuki car mirrors reflects Sri Lanka’s growing economic crisis By Reuters

By Michael J. Moody 5 months ago
4/4

© Reuters. A man stands in front of used car parts of Japanese manufacturer Toyota, at an area selling spare parts for vehicles, in a suburb town of Colombo, Sri Lanka February 17, 2022. REUTERS/Dinuka Liyanawatte

2/4

By Devjyot Ghoshal and Uditha Jayasinghe

COLOMBO (Reuters) – Car spare parts dealers in Sri Lanka’s main city of Colombo are receiving a steady stream of customers looking for what is fast becoming a prized commodity in the island nation – side mirrors for Suzuki’s compact Wagon R.

The scramble for the humble product highlights rising economic risks for the South Asian country as imports slump, foreign exchange reserves plummet and a potential sovereign default looms.

Suzuki’s boxy, five-seater vehicle is hugely popular in Sri Lanka, given its low running costs. With some 30,000 of the cars sold over the past four years in a nation that has relatively high road crash

… Read More

2 Semiconductor Stocks to Buy Amid the Automotive Chip Shortage, and 1 to Watch

By Michael J. Moody 5 months ago

The empty lots at new car dealerships have attracted the attention of most Americans regardless of whether they pay attention to the semiconductor industry. Thanks to a shortage of semiconductor chips, automobile factories are being temporarily idled, and used car prices have shot higher amid the rising demand for cars.

However, the shortage of such chips has placed the focus on some semiconductor companies that previously received little attention, such as NXP Semiconductors (NASDAQ:NXPI), Texas Instruments (NASDAQ:TXN), and GlobalFoundries (NASDAQ:GFS). Let’s take a closer look at these three companies.

A close-up of a semiconductor designed for automotive applications.

Image source: Getty Images.

Understanding the automotive chip shortage

The semiconductor shortage has affected all tech-related industries. Nonetheless, the nature of the chip shortage differs in the automotive industry.

Consumers who have experienced a decades-long upgrade cycle often pay little heed to less advanced chips. However, a robust market for larger, slower chips remains, and the automobile sector

… Read More

Chip Shortage Hurting Toyota More Than Nissan, Report Says

By Michael J. Moody 5 months ago

The ongoing chip shortage is affecting these Japanese titans differently. 


Nissan/Toyota

Semiconductors are a hot commodity these days, as we’ve reported here at Roadshow. The global shortage of computer chips has caused all kinds of headaches in the automotive industry, something that’s hurt certain companies more than others.

According to a report from Automotive News Monday, Toyota in particular is struggling due to the shortage, while rival Nissan is performing better than expected, a surprising reversal of fortunes. Traditionally, Toyota, the world’s largest automaker, is known for its rock-solid profitability, but the company downgraded its global sales and production outlooks following a 21% decline in operating profits in the last quarter. Toyota’s global sales forecast for the current fiscal year ending on March 31 is expected to tumble to 8.25 million vehicles, a significant drop from its earlier estimate of 8.55 million.

… Read More

Why the heck is there still an automotive chip shortage?

By Michael J. Moody 5 months ago

Aside from the raw, human toll, COVID-19 has dramatically changed how we live, from travel and education to the way people work. This pandemic has also had an outsized — and unfortunate — impact on the automotive industry, snarling global supply chains and limiting vehicle production. But perhaps nothing has hamstrung car companies more than the ongoing semiconductor shortage, which is still a major issue two years after coronavirus went global.

For several important reasons, “The chip shortage is still very much a problem,” said Sam Fiorani, vice president of global vehicle forecasting at AutoForecast Solutions. “This is not a quickly solvable issue,” he added.

Automakers large and small are still being affected by an acute lack of semiconductors, which are absolutely necessary, even in the most basic cars and trucks. Everything from advanced driver-assistance features to infotainment systems to heated steering wheels are powered by some sort of

… Read More