MILAN — Fiat Chrysler Automobiles could sell up to $830 million worth of shares to boost its finances and increase trading in the stock after it lists on Wall Street next week, according to Reuters’ calculations.
Fiat completed the full buyout of its U.S. unit Chrysler this year and is now incorporating all of its businesses under Dutch-registered Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, or FCA. A U.S. listing of the world’s seventh-biggest auto group is scheduled for Monday.
Chief Executive Officer Sergio Marchionne has said he could “get the machine rolling” by selling to U.S. investors the shares Fiat owns in itself, or so-called treasury stock.
It could also sell shares to offset those that were bought back — and then canceled — from investors who decided not to participate in the Italian carmaker’s merger into FCA.
FCA may face some challenges in creating enough liquidity for its shares in the U.S. market, which will be complicated by its stock also being listed in Milan. However, Marchionne has repeatedly said Chrysler’s high-profile name in the United States should help attract interest.
Fiat said Thursday it was left with around 53.9 million shares from investors who decided to sell out and not be part of the company’s merger into FCA. The carmaker won’t offer those shares on the market and will pay the cash exit price of 7.727 euros ($9.845) for each of those shares.
Under Italian law, those remaining shares have then to be canceled, but could be reissued, Marchionne has said.
“We will sell the equivalent of those shares on Wall Street,” Marchionne said at the Paris auto show last week.
The carmaker owns another 34.6 million shares in treasury stock. The combined 88.5 million shares would be valued at 650 million euros ($830 million) at Thursday’s opening price.
“Selling our treasury shares remains one of the objectives,” Marchionne added, but said the timing for both sales would be decided after the evaluation of all risks. A roadshow to speak with U.S. investors is planned for November.
FCA’s new board will meet at the end of October to look at all of the carmaker’s capital-boosting options, including taking on more debt, a mandatory convertible bond and a possible capital increase.
Marchionne has repeatedly said a capital increase wasn’t necessary to fund his ambitious growth plan.
Earlier Thursday, Fiat said existing shareholders had bought just over 6 million of the roughly 60 million shares offered directly to them from the stock bought back from dissenting shareholders.
When you get into that back office and start signing all the paperwork, the topic of extended warranties will come up pretty quickly. Ellie Kay, an author of 15 finance-related books, notes that such warranties are negotiable.
"Before you sign on the dotted line, check out other sources of extended warranty pricing," she says, such as those provided by your bank or insurance company. "Then either use this lower price in the financial and insurance office for negotiation to get them to match the price, or buy it from the other source."
A scenario from Kay during her last car purchase: "The dealer quoted me $4,200 for a three-year extended warranty for my 280SLK Roadster Mercedes that included a $250 deductible. USAA — my insurance company — gave me a three-year warranty for $3,200 with zero deductible. I’ve used the new warranty once already. The bill was $1,100 and I paid nothing because of the zero deductible."
Bottom line: The default extended warranty is almost always the worst deal.
1. You'll get the dealer's extended warranty
You may have a monthly payment figure in your head when shopping for a new car, but your interests are better served when you focus on the out-the-door price instead.
"A sales rep can often trick you by offering a lower monthly payment, but [one that] will stretch out the terms of the loan," says David Bakke, a car buying expert at MoneyCrashers.com.
You can reduce the overall cost of the car via negotiation and by skipping accessories and add-ons. "Things like navigation systems, rims, floor mats or car audio/entertainment systems can be purchased from a third party vendor, usually for less."
All our experts agree: Don’t even mention your preferred or maximum monthly payment price.
2. You'll negotiate based on your monthly payment
If you decide to trade in your current vehicle for another, Kay says to negotiate this apart from the price of the new car and only after you’ve negotiated everything else. You can learn the full value of your car by going to Edmunds.com or kbb.com. Once you know what the car is worth, don’t settle for anything less. Kay also advises you to seriously consider selling your old car yourself, and applying what you get toward the principle of your loan.
3. You'll cave on your trade-in price
It may be tempting to just head to one local dealership, take a test drive or two, and walk out the door with a new car, but you’ll save yourself a lot more money by doing a little pre-shopping research.
"Once you have your choices narrowed down to a few makes or models, contact the Internet sales manager of a few dealerships," suggests Bakke. "These folks can often offer better pricing than what you’d find dealing with an on-site sales person. Plus, you save time."
In addition to, or in lieu of, e-shopping, Joshua Duvall of Capital Financial Services says to "find a few vehicles from different manufacturers and pit them against one another." He explains that the car buying market is based on quantity and the fact that dealers want to move cars. "Force them to compete for your business."
4. You won't shop around enough or do enough research
"Dealerships often employ hard-sell tactics that can be overwhelming for a first-time buyer, so it is a good idea to go with someone who has been through the process before," explains John Ganotis, founder of CreditCardInsider.com.
Granotis also says that if you’re buying a used vehicle, it’s wise bring along a friend who knows his or her stuff when it comes to car health. For example, a mechanic who can peek under the hood, or recognize if something subtle is wrong during the test drive, would be especially handy.
5. You'll go to the dealership alone
You’ve likely heard it before, but we have to repeat this fact: Buying a used car is almost always a better value compared to buying new. If you like a particular model, buy the same car, but a year or several years older. Unless there have been major body changes, you’ll hardly be able to tell the difference.
6. You'll buy new
OK, so sometimes ol’ Sally breaks down, and you need to get a new set of wheels, stat. If you don’t fall into that category, though, our experts recommend choosing your purchase date strategically, such as during a major sale. Better yet, wait for theend of a promotion.
Dealership salespeople often receive a bonus if they meet their targets during a promotion. Even if they lose money on a vehicle at the end of a promotion, they typically make up for the loss with their promotion target bonus.
Erin Konrad of CouponPal suggests buying near the end of the month. This is when salespeople are trying to meet monthly quotas and are more likely to negotiate.
7. You'll rush to buy
Be familiar with common strategies employed by dealerships and sellers. For example, MSN Money warns against the "four-square" trick. (I’ve had this one used on me.) In this trick, the salesperson draws four boxes with a number in each: your old car’s trade-in value, the new car’s price, the down payment, and your monthly payment. "From there, the salesperson begins crunching numbers — most likely making it too hard for you to follow," writes MSN. He or she will shift your focus to the monthly payment, which can result in a longer loan and a higher interest rate.
Another common trick is to heighten your sense of urgency, says Business Insider via Gregg Fidan, founder of RealCarTips.com and the author of "Honest Guide to Buying a Car." For example, the dealer may tell you "that color is not available; there’s only three left statewide; the price is good only for today; someone else is interested in the car, better decide quickly, etc." In this case, be patient and courteous, but remain level-headed and never rush to buy. Study up on Fidan’s list of 112 car-buying scams.
To sum up the list: Don’t let yourself get too caught up in the excitement of shiny metal, and remember that in six months that "new car excitement" will have faded, and you’ll be due for an oil change.
8. You'll fall for sales tricks
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