General Motors (GM) Up 3.5% Since Last Earnings Report: Can It Continue?

A month has gone by since the last earnings report for General Motors (GM). Shares have added about 3.5% in that time frame, outperforming the S&P 500.

But investors have to be wondering, will the recent positive trend continue leading up to its next earnings release, or is General Motors due for a pullback? Before we dive into how investors and analysts have reacted as of late, let's take a quick look at the latest earnings report in order to get a better handle on the important catalysts.

General Motors Q2 Earnings Surpass Expectations

General Motors reported second-quarter 2026 adjusted earnings of $3.57 per share, up 41.3% year over year. The figure beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $3.13 by 14.06%. Better-than-expected adjusted EBITDA from North America and International segments led to the outperformance.

Revenues increased 1.9% to $48.03 billion and surpassed the consensus estimate of $46.56 billion by 3.15%. Strong pricing, lower costs and disciplined incentives supported results. Global wholesale volume rose to 990,000 vehicles from 974,000 a year earlier.

Adjusted earnings before interest and taxes increased 29.8% year over year to $3.94 billion. The adjusted EBIT margin expanded to 8.2% from 6.4%, reflecting stronger core operating performance.

Price contributed $700 million to the year-over-year improvement in adjusted EBIT, supported by GM’s product portfolio and incentive discipline. Cost performance added $300 million, primarily due to lower warranty expenses, reduced tariff exposure and emissions-related regulatory savings. Commodity inflation, logistics expenses, higher memory-chip costs and manufacturing costs tied to U.S. production onshoring partly offset the gains.

North America Business Strengthens

GM North America generated revenues of $39.91 billion, up 1.1% from the prior-year quarter. Wholesale volume was nearly flat at 848,000 units as a 31,000-unit decline in electric vehicle volume was offset by higher internal-combustion-engine vehicle shipments.

The segment’s adjusted EBIT surged 42.7% to $3.45 billion, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $3.12 billion. Adjusted EBIT margin improved 250 basis points to 8.6%, aided by pricing, incentive discipline and operating efficiencies. U.S. dealer inventory ended the quarter at 511,000 vehicles, down about 3% year over year and within management’s targeted range of 50-60 days.

International Operations Deliver Mixed Results

GM International revenues climbed 11% year over year to $3.69 billion, while wholesale volume increased to 142,000 vehicles from 125,000. Strong execution in South America supported the top line, though shipping disruptions reduced wholesale volume in the Middle East.

Adjusted EBIT for the segment declined 6.6% to $190 million, surpassing the consensus mark of $176 million. Meanwhile, GM’s China joint ventures generated equity income of $83 million, up 16.9%. The China business delivered its seventh consecutive profitable quarter, supported by cost efficiencies and product-mix optimization.

Finance Arm Faces Cost Pressure

GM Financial revenues edged up to $4.27 billion from $4.26 billion. Higher net financing revenues and insurance premiums supported results.

However, adjusted earnings before taxes fell 14% to $605 million. Increased lease depreciation, higher costs related to insurance operations and a larger provision for loan losses offset the revenue benefits. GM Financial paid a $250 million dividend to its parent during the quarter, bringing first-half dividends to $900 million.

Digital Business Keeps Scaling

OnStar ended the quarter with deferred revenues of $6.3 billion, up nearly 50% year over year. Recognized revenues reached $800 million, increasing more than 20%. The company remained on track to add about 1 million subscribers in 2026.

Super Cruise recognized revenues grew roughly 70%, and GM added about 70,000 subscribers during the quarter. The company expects to exceed 850,000 Super Cruise subscribers by year-end, while the attach rate after the three-year prepaid period remained in the 30-40% range.

Cash Flow Supports Shareholder Returns

Automotive operating cash flow increased 9% to $5.07 billion. Adjusted automotive free cash flow jumped 78% to $5.03 billion, driven by higher automotive earnings, tariff reimbursement timing and lower capital spending.

Capital expenditures totaled $1.92 billion in the quarter. GM repurchased $2 billion of stock and retired approximately 24.9 million shares. The company also distributed about $200 million in dividends. Automotive cash and marketable securities totaled $19.7 billion at quarter-end, while automotive liquidity was $33.6 billion.

2026 Outlook Lifted

General Motors raised its full-year adjusted EBIT guidance to $14-$16 billion from $13.5-$15.5 billion. Adjusted earnings are now projected at $12-$14 per share, up from the prior range of $11.50-$13.50.

The company also increased its adjusted automotive free cash flow forecast to $9.5-$11.5 billion from $9-$11 billion. GM continues to expect an 8-10% adjusted EBIT margin in North America and capital spending, including battery joint-venture investments, of $10-$12 billion.

Management attributed the improved outlook to strong pricing and warranty performance, along with a slightly better commodity-cost environment. The board also declared a quarterly dividend of 18 cents per share, to be paid out on Sept. 17, 2026, to shareholders of record as of Sept. 4.

How Have Estimates Been Moving Since Then?

It turns out, estimates revision have trended upward during the past month.

The consensus estimate has shifted 5.57% due to these changes.

VGM Scores

Currently, General Motors has a nice Growth Score of B, a grade with the same score on the momentum front. Charting a somewhat similar path, the stock was allocated a grade of A on the value side, putting it in the top 20% for value investors.

Overall, the stock has an aggregate VGM Score of A. If you aren't focused on one strategy, this score is the one you should be interested in.

Outlook

Estimates have been broadly trending upward for the stock, and the magnitude of these revisions looks promising. Notably, General Motors has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). We expect an in-line return from the stock in the next few months.

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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).

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