Back to top

Image: Bigstock

BMW Under SEC Investigation for Inflating Sales Numbers

Read MoreHide Full Article

BMW AG (BAMXF - Free Report) is under investigation by the U.S Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) due to its sales practices, per Wall Street Journal.

The SEC is looking into the U.S. activities of BMW to ascertain whether it is involved in a technique known as sales punching.

A sale punching is a well-known way to boost sales statistics. It is described as a process in which a dealer registers cars that are still standing on car lots as being sold. It appears as inflated sales, which on a monthly balance sheet look good but create other problems down the line.

Notably, BMW is not the first manufacturer to be targeted over its sales practices by the U.S regulator. In September 2019, Fiat Chrysler agreed to pay a  $40-million penalty to the SEC for misleading investors by inflating monthly sales figure over five years (between 2012 and 2016). The company inflated its new-vehicle sales by paying dealers to report fake sales numbers.

Notably, Fiat Chrysler joined General Motors (GM - Free Report) and Ford (F - Free Report) in ending the practice of disclosing monthly U.S. sales numbers. The companies will now report the U.S. sales numbers quarterly, while most of the other car manufacturers will still report results on a monthly basis.

Shares of BMW have underperformed the industry it belongs to over the past year. Its shares have appreciated 0.4% compared with the industry’s growth of 13%.

 

 

Additionally, BMW is faced with lawsuits by European authorities on charges of collusion with rivals to manipulate prices on emissions control technologies. The Zacks Rank # 3 (Hold) company is also under pressure in the United States on account of the U.S.-China trade war, which has impacted SUV exports from its factory based in Spartanburg, SC.

You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

5 Stocks Set to Double

Each was hand-picked by a Zacks expert as the #1 favorite stock to gain +100% or more in 2020. Each comes from a different sector and has unique qualities and catalysts that could fuel exceptional growth.

Most of the stocks in this report are flying under Wall Street radar, which provides a great opportunity to get in on the ground floor.

Today, See These 5 Potential Home Runs >>


See More Zacks Research for These Tickers


Normally $25 each - click below to receive one report FREE:


Ford Motor Company (F) - free report >>

General Motors Company (GM) - free report >>

Bayerische Motoren Werke AG (BAMXF) - free report >>

Published in