• Investing
  • Stock
  • Editor’s Pick
  • Economy
The Significant Deals
Investing

Honda and Nissan officially begin merger talks to create world’s third-largest automaker

by December 24, 2024
written by December 24, 2024

Japanese automakers Nissan and Honda on Monday announced they had entered into official talks to merge and create the world’s third-largest automaker by sales.

In a news conference on Monday, Honda CEO Toshihiro Mibe said the companies needed greater scale to compete in the development of new technologies in electric vehicles and intelligent driving. A business integration would give the companies an “edge that will not be possible under the current collaboration framework,” Mibe said, according to a translation.

The deal would aim to share intelligence and resources and deliver economies of scale and synergies while protecting both brands, he said.

A holding company would be formed as the parent company of both Honda and Nissan, listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange. The larger Honda will nominate most of the integrated entity’s board members. The merged group has the potential to deliver revenue of 30 trillion yen ($191.4 billion) and operating profit of more than 3 trillion yen, he said.

Honda reported 1.382 trillion yen in operating profit for the full year to March 2024, versus Nissan’s 568.7 billion yen. The companies would have a combined value of nearly $54 billion, with Honda’s market capitalization contributing the greater $43 billion share.

Discussions are set to conclude in June 2025.

Mibe added that if approved, the integration would be a mid- to long-term project that is currently not expected to show visible progress until 2030 and beyond.

Nissan’s strategic partner, Mitsubishi, has been offered the chance to join the new group and will take a decision by the end of January 2025.

The companies are grappling with intense global competition in the EV market from the likes of Tesla and China’s BYD. The high cost of the EV transition for legacy companies has long been expected to drive industry consolidation.

Japan’s Toyota is the world’s biggest automaker by sales, followed by Germany’s Volkswagen. A Nissan-Honda tie-up would see the group overtake South Korea’s Hyundai.

The proposed deal was first reported by Japan’s Nikkei newspaper on Dec. 17.

Nissan shares spiked after the initial report of a merger. Analysts say the potential tie-up is a result of financial underperformance at the company and of the restructure of its long-standing partnership with France’s Renault.

In its most recent quarterly results, Nissan said it would cut 9,000 jobs and reduce global production capacity by a fifth.

Honda CEO Mibe on Monday said some of the company’s shareholders may feel that the deal would represent Honda supporting Nissan, but noted the merger was “based on the assumption that Nissan completes its turnaround action.”

“If Nissan and Honda fail to stand on their own feet the business integration talks will not come to fruition,” he said.

Nissan CEO Makoto Uchida told reporters that the discussion of integration did “not mean we have given up on a turnaround” and was instead about ensuring the company’s competitiveness for the future.

“After doing this turnaround action for future development, future growth, we need to look at ultimate size and growth. This growth will be through partnerships,” he added.

Nissan has “been struggling in the market, it’s been struggling at home, it doesn’t have the right product lineup,” Peter Wells, professor of business and sustainability at Cardiff Business School’s Centre for Automotive Industry Research, told CNBC’s “Street Signs Europe” last week.

“There are so many warning signs, so many red flags around Nissan at the moment that something had to happen. Whether this is the answer is another question,” Wells added.

Shares of Renault closed 1.2% higher on Monday. The company directly holds a 17% stake in Nissan and owns another 18.7% via a French trust, while Nissan is a strategic investor in Renault’s EV and software entity Ampere.

In Asia trade, Nissan shares closed 1.2% higher ahead of the announcement, with Honda up 3.8% and Mitsubishi finishing 0.6% higher.

— CNBC’s Ruxandra Iordache and Sam Meredith contributed to this story.

This post appeared first on NBC NEWS
0 comment
0
FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail

previous post
Biden administration announces new Chinese chips probe, Semiconductor stocks gain
next post
American Airlines lifts ground stop after unspecified technical issue

You may also like

Divided Fed proposes rule to ease capital requirements...

June 26, 2025

Women’s Tennis Association extends media rights deal with...

June 26, 2025

Bumble shares jump 26% as dating company plans...

June 26, 2025

Small-business AI use is lagging, but one firm...

June 25, 2025

Nvidia CEO Huang sells $15 million worth of...

June 25, 2025

How Fanatics is teaching business acumen to pro...

June 24, 2025

Walmart to pay $10 million to settle lawsuit...

June 23, 2025

Apple sued by shareholders who allege it overstated...

June 23, 2025

Tesla agrees to first deal to build China’s...

June 21, 2025

Oil prices rise more than 1% as Israel...

June 20, 2025
Fill Out & Get More Relevant News








    Stay ahead of the market and unlock exclusive trading insights & timely news. We value your privacy - your information is secure, and you can unsubscribe anytime. Gain an edge with hand-picked trading opportunities, stay informed with market-moving updates, and learn from expert tips & strategies.

    Recent Posts

    • Divided Fed proposes rule to ease capital requirements for big Wall Street banks

      June 26, 2025
    • Women’s Tennis Association extends media rights deal with Tennis Channel through 2032

      June 26, 2025
    • Bumble shares jump 26% as dating company plans to axe 30% of workforce

      June 26, 2025
    • Small-business AI use is lagging, but one firm is channeling Sherlock Holmes and knocking out ‘grunt work’

      June 25, 2025

    Categories

    • Economy (245)
    • Editor's Pick (3,646)
    • Investing (534)
    • Stock (6,426)

    Latest News

    • Divided Fed proposes rule to ease capital requirements for big Wall Street banks
    • Women’s Tennis Association extends media rights deal with Tennis Channel through 2032

    Popular News

    • Getty Images, Shutterstock gear up for AI challenge with $3.7 billion merger
    • US plan to break up Google’s search dominance threatens profit engine, AI growth

    About The Significant deals

    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms & Conditions

    Copyright © 2025 thesignificantdeals.com | All Rights Reserved

    The Significant Deals
    • Investing
    • Stock
    • Editor’s Pick
    • Economy