Autoliv: Hopeful About Active Safety

Autoliv Inc. (ALV - Analyst Report) announced that it aims to achieve sales of $500 million with a global market share of 30% in 2015 for its active safety products. The active safety system uses radars and vision systems to monitor the environment around the vehicle. It facilitates easy driving by intervening before a crash by adjusting engine output, steering and braking.

Autoliv’s strong outlook is based on acquisitions of some long-range radar technologies made this year. The company intends to offer a full range of active safety products with the help of long-range radar technologies obtained from Germany-based companies, Hella KGaA Hueck & Co and ASTYX Communications and Sensors GmbH.

In April, Autoliv acquired a licensed technology from Hella Aglaia Mobile Vision – a subsidiary of Germany’s Hella KGaA Hueck & Co. The technology will help the company offer traffic signal recognition and lane detection systems.

Further, in September, the company signed a license agreement to acquire technology from Communications and Sensors GmbH. The deal would help Autoliv offer adaptive cruise control system in connection with emergency braking when an accident is imminent as well as forward collision warning system in order to alert the driver when the vehicle is about to collide with another vehicle.

Autoliv, a Zacks #3 Rank (Hold) stock, recorded a decline in profit to $138.4 million or $1.48 per share in the third quarter of 2011, missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by a penny. The company’s consolidated sales appreciated 16% to $2.02 billion reflecting a boost of 6% due to currency translation.

Sales of Active Safety Products went up 78% to $40 million, with a 75% growth in organic sales. The increase was attributable to new radar business with Chrysler and higher optional take-rates at Daimler’s (DDAIF - Analyst Report) Mercedes.

For full year 2011, Autoliv expects consolidated sales to grow more than 15% to $8.3 billion, backed by an organic sales growth of more than 9%. However, given the uncertainties due to the flooding in Thailand, the company has brought down its operating margin guidance to 11% from over 11%.

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