Eyes on Fiat Chrysler's Canadian plants as company merges with Peugeot to create $47-billion auto giant - Financial Post | Canada News Media
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Eyes on Fiat Chrysler's Canadian plants as company merges with Peugeot to create $47-billion auto giant – Financial Post

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PSA Group and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV will combine to create the world’s fourth-biggest carmaker, as the manufacturers prepare to shoulder the costly investments in new technologies transforming the industry such as automation and electrification.

In the biggest auto tie-up since Daimler’s ill-fated purchase of Chrysler in 1998, the French and Italo-American carmakers will each own half of the enlarged business with combined annual sales of 8.7 million vehicles.

The all-stock transaction brings together two carmaking dynasties — the billionaire Agnelli clan of Italy and the Peugeots of France — and will forge a regional powerhouse to rival Germany’s Volkswagen AG with a market value of about US$47 billion, surpassing Ford Motor Co.

Executives promised not to close any plants in the merger even though the new company aims to extract 3.7 billion euros in annual synergies related to platform and purchasing efficiencies. FCA currently operates two assembly plants in Ontario where it manufactures nearly one quarter of all vehicles made in Canada.

“In the merger there will be no affect on production in Ontario,” FCA chief executive Mike Manley said on a call with reporters Wednesday.

Earlier this year, FCA announced plans to eliminate a third shift and 1,500 jobs at its Windsor, Ont., plant where 6,000 employees build the Chrysler Pacifica, Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid, Chrysler Voyager and Dodge Grand Caravan.

It has since extended the shift until the end of the first quarter in 2020, and will continue to review the feasibility of maintaining the shift, a spokesperson said in an email. It’s too early to comment on whether that extra capacity — if it opens up — could be used to build PSA vehicles in North America, the spokesperson said.

No cuts have been proposed at FCA’s Brampton, Ont., plant where 3,400 workers build the Chrysler 300, Dodge Charger and Dodge Challenger.

While the combined company said its manufacturing footprint will remain stable for now, the executives touted the synergies from sharing technologies and platforms across brands.

The new company will be run by PSA Chief Executive Officer Carlos Tavares, with Fiat Chairman John Elkann holding the same role.

The transaction will take as long as 15 months to complete, pending approvals by shareholders of both companies and by regulators, the carmakers estimated.

Like executives across the industry, Tavares and Elkann are responding to growing pressure to pool resources for product development, manufacturing and purchasing in the face of trade wars and an expensive shift toward electric and self-driving technology.

“The challenges of our industry are really, really significant,” Tavares, 61, said on the call with reporters. “The green deal, autonomous vehicles, connectivity and all those topics need significant resources, strengths, skills and expertise.”

“The technological revolution we are embracing requires a more innovative response than anything we have done before,” Elkann, 43, said in a letter to staff.

In an era when size is becoming ever more important, the deal will turn the two mid-sized carmakers into a global heavyweight, with a stable of popular brands and annual vehicle sales surpassing General Motors Co. The combination will give Peugeot-maker PSA a long-sought presence in North America and should help Fiat gain ground in developing low-emission technology, where it’s lagged rivals.

Mark Nantais, president of the Canadian Vehicle Manufacturers’ Association, said the deal reflects where the auto industry is going and where it needs to go given how expensive it is to develop new technologies.

“That is so capital intensive and there’s only so much money to go around,” Nantais said. “They have to look for partners, they have to look for synergies in order to basically be prepared for the future.”

As for future manufacturing decisions, Nantais expects the companies to choose markets where it can produce more profitably. While Canada has a skilled labour force, infrastructure and the benefit of the new Nafta deal, it also has higher costs for inputs such as electricity, Nantais said.

“We’re still one of the highest cost jurisdictions to produce,” he said.

When it comes to where to locate production and management, Tavares indicted the company will stick to where the brands have roots and manage through regional headquarters.

“The brands carry the passion, the brands carry the history, the brands carry the emotions. This is why we considered that the brands will stay in their countries of origin,” he said. “Italian brands will stay in Italy, French brands will stay in France, American brands will stay in the U.S., and German brands will stay in Germany.”

Yet the new company will face many challenges. It will still be heavily reliant on Europe’s sluggish and saturated auto market, and poorly positioned in China, the world’s largest country for car sales.

The challenges will be manifold, from improving Fiat’s struggling European operations to meeting tough rules on emissions that kick in next year in the region as well as an unprecedented policy known as the green deal demanding an even tougher clampdown on carbon. Tavares, known as a hard-nosed cost-cutter, will also have to navigate the political crosscurrents in France, Italy and the U.S., where the automakers have deep national roots.

He has tackled tough jobs before, leading the French carmaker back from the brink after taking over in 2014, and reviving the loss-making Opel brand after acquiring it from GM two years ago.

“We believe further synergies above the modest 3.7 billion euros announced will be required to justify the combination going forward, which Tavares’ track record makes likely,” Bloomberg Intelligence analyst Michael Dean said in a note.

The deal with Fiat Chrysler marks a reversal of fortune for the 61-year-old executive, who was forced into a bystander role earlier this year when Elkann approached Renault SA, PSA’s French rival. That merger fell apart in early June after Renault’s Japanese partner, Nissan Motor Co., declined to back it.

China’s Dongfeng Motor Corp., which owns 12 per cent of PSA, will see its stake in the combined company decline to 4.5 per cent as a result of the deal and the sale of a portion of its holding to the French carmaker.

Dongfeng’s stake in PSA has attracted attention because of the possibility it could interfere with U.S. regulatory approval. U.S. economic adviser Larry Kudlow said last month the Trump administration would review the proposed merger because the deal would give the Chinese carmaker a stake in the combined company.

Tavares, on the call, said the companies don’t expect any significant issues from the antitrust regulators.

Fiat CEO Manley dismissed concerns over legal and tax issues that arose in recent weeks. GM in November accused Fiat Chrysler of bribing a union in the U.S. for more favourable terms. Manley, speaking with reporters, called the allegation meritless.

Separately, Italian tax authorities have claimed that Fiat owes the government a hefty sum after underestimating Chrysler’s value following its purchase several years ago. Manley reiterated that the case would have no material impact, and said both issues were reviewed during due diligence with PSA.

Manley, 55, who took over at Fiat last year after the sudden death of industry legend Sergio Marchionne, “will be there alongside” Tavares at the combined group, Elkann said in a letter to employees. He didn’t specify what Manley’s role would be.

Before the closing, Fiat will distribute to its shareholders a special dividend of 5.5 billion euros while PSA will distribute its 46 per cent stake in car-parts maker Faurecia SE to its own investors.

The spinoff or sale of Fiat’s robotics arm Comau slated for the benefit of the Italian company’s shareholders has been modified since October. Now, the planned separation will occur after the closing, and shareholders of the combined company will benefit.

Bloomberg.com

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Telus prioritizing ‘most important customers,’ avoiding ‘unprofitable’ offers: CFO

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Telus Corp. says it is avoiding offering “unprofitable” discounts as fierce competition in the Canadian telecommunications sector shows no sign of slowing down.

The company said Friday it had fewer net new customers during its third quarter compared with the same time last year, as it copes with increasingly “aggressive marketing and promotional pricing” that is prompting more customers to switch providers.

Telus said it added 347,000 net new customers, down around 14.5 per cent compared with last year. The figure includes 130,000 mobile phone subscribers and 34,000 internet customers, down 30,000 and 3,000, respectively, year-over-year.

The company reported its mobile phone churn rate — a metric measuring subscribers who cancelled their services — was 1.09 per cent in the third quarter, up from 1.03 per cent in the third quarter of 2023. That included a postpaid mobile phone churn rate of 0.90 per cent in its latest quarter.

Telus said its focus is on customer retention through its “industry-leading service and network quality, along with successful promotions and bundled offerings.”

“The customers we have are the most important customers we can get,” said chief financial officer Doug French in an interview.

“We’ve, again, just continued to focus on what matters most to our customers, from a product and customer service perspective, while not loading unprofitable customers.”

Meanwhile, Telus reported its net income attributable to common shares more than doubled during its third quarter.

The telecommunications company said it earned $280 million, up 105.9 per cent from the same three-month period in 2023. Earnings per diluted share for the quarter ended Sept. 30 was 19 cents compared with nine cents a year earlier.

It reported adjusted net income was $413 million, up 10.7 per cent year-over-year from $373 million in the same quarter last year. Operating revenue and other income for the quarter was $5.1 billion, up 1.8 per cent from the previous year.

Mobile phone average revenue per user was $58.85 in the third quarter, a decrease of $2.09 or 3.4 per cent from a year ago. Telus said the drop was attributable to customers signing up for base rate plans with lower prices, along with a decline in overage and roaming revenues.

It said customers are increasingly adopting unlimited data and Canada-U.S. plans which provide higher and more stable ARPU on a monthly basis.

“In a tough operating environment and relative to peers, we view Q3 results that were in line to slightly better than forecast as the best of the bunch,” said RBC analyst Drew McReynolds in a note.

Scotiabank analyst Maher Yaghi added that “the telecom industry in Canada remains very challenging for all players, however, Telus has been able to face these pressures” and still deliver growth.

The Big 3 telecom providers — which also include Rogers Communications Inc. and BCE Inc. — have frequently stressed that the market has grown more competitive in recent years, especially after the closing of Quebecor Inc.’s purchase of Freedom Mobile in April 2023.

Hailed as a fourth national carrier, Quebecor has invested in enhancements to Freedom’s network while offering more affordable plans as part of a set of commitments it was mandated by Ottawa to agree to.

The cost of telephone services in September was down eight per cent compared with a year earlier, according to Statistics Canada’s most recent inflation report last month.

“I think competition has been and continues to be, I’d say, quite intense in Canada, and we’ve obviously had to just manage our business the way we see fit,” said French.

Asked how long that environment could last, he said that’s out of Telus’ hands.

“What I can control, though, is how we go to market and how we lead with our products,” he said.

“I think the conditions within the market will have to adjust accordingly over time. We’ve continued to focus on digitization, continued to bring our cost structure down to compete, irrespective of the price and the current market conditions.”

Still, Canada’s telecom regulator continues to warn providers about customers facing more charges on their cellphone and internet bills.

On Tuesday, CRTC vice-president of consumer, analytics and strategy Scott Hutton called on providers to ensure they clearly inform their customers of charges such as early cancellation fees.

That followed statements from the regulator in recent weeks cautioning against rising international roaming fees and “surprise” price increases being found on their bills.

Hutton said the CRTC plans to launch public consultations in the coming weeks that will focus “on ensuring that information is clear and consistent, making it easier to compare offers and switch services or providers.”

“The CRTC is concerned with recent trends, which suggest that Canadians may not be benefiting from the full protections of our codes,” he said.

“We will continue to monitor developments and will take further action if our codes are not being followed.”

French said any initiative to boost transparency is a step in the right direction.

“I can’t say we are perfect across the board, but what I can say is we are absolutely taking it under consideration and trying to be the best at communicating with our customers,” he said.

“I think everyone looking in the mirror would say there’s room for improvement.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.

Companies in this story: (TSX:T)

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TC Energy cuts cost estimate for Southeast Gateway pipeline project in Mexico

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CALGARY – TC Energy Corp. has lowered the estimated cost of its Southeast Gateway pipeline project in Mexico.

It says it now expects the project to cost between US$3.9 billion and US$4.1 billion compared with its original estimate of US$4.5 billion.

The change came as the company reported a third-quarter profit attributable to common shareholders of C$1.46 billion or $1.40 per share compared with a loss of C$197 million or 19 cents per share in the same quarter last year.

Revenue for the quarter ended Sept. 30 totalled C$4.08 billion, up from C$3.94 billion in the third quarter of 2023.

TC Energy says its comparable earnings for its latest quarter amounted to C$1.03 per share compared with C$1.00 per share a year earlier.

The average analyst estimate had been for a profit of 95 cents per share, according to LSEG Data & Analytics.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 7, 2024.

Companies in this story: (TSX:TRP)

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

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BCE reports Q3 loss on asset impairment charge, cuts revenue guidance

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BCE Inc. reported a loss in its latest quarter as it recorded $2.11 billion in asset impairment charges, mainly related to Bell Media’s TV and radio properties.

The company says its net loss attributable to common shareholders amounted to $1.24 billion or $1.36 per share for the quarter ended Sept. 30 compared with a profit of $640 million or 70 cents per share a year earlier.

On an adjusted basis, BCE says it earned 75 cents per share in its latest quarter compared with an adjusted profit of 81 cents per share in the same quarter last year.

“Bell’s results for the third quarter demonstrate that we are disciplined in our pursuit of profitable growth in an intensely competitive environment,” BCE chief executive Mirko Bibic said in a statement.

“Our focus this quarter, and throughout 2024, has been to attract higher-margin subscribers and reduce costs to help offset short-term revenue impacts from sustained competitive pricing pressures, slow economic growth and a media advertising market that is in transition.”

Operating revenue for the quarter totalled $5.97 billion, down from $6.08 billion in its third quarter of 2023.

BCE also said it now expects its revenue for 2024 to fall about 1.5 per cent compared with earlier guidance for an increase of zero to four per cent.

The company says the change comes as it faces lower-than-anticipated wireless product revenue and sustained pressure on wireless prices.

BCE added 33,111 net postpaid mobile phone subscribers, down 76.8 per cent from the same period last year, which was the company’s second-best performance on the metric since 2010.

It says the drop was driven by higher customer churn — a measure of subscribers who cancelled their service — amid greater competitive activity and promotional offer intensity. BCE’s monthly churn rate for the category was 1.28 per cent, up from 1.1 per cent during its previous third quarter.

The company also saw 11.6 per cent fewer gross subscriber activations “due to more targeted promotional offers and mobile device discounting compared to last year.”

Bell’s wireless mobile phone average revenue per user was $58.26, down 3.4 per cent from $60.28 in the third quarter of the prior year.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 7, 2024.

Companies in this story: (TSX:BCE)

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