Aston Martin Issues Profit Warning Amid American Trade Pressures and Seeks Official Support
Aston Martin has attributed a profit warning to Donald Trump's trade duties, as it calling on the UK government for greater active assistance.
The company, which builds its vehicles in Warwickshire and south Wales, revised its profit outlook on Monday, representing the another downgrade in the current year. It now anticipates a larger loss than the previously projected £110 million deficit.
Seeking Government Support
Aston Martin voiced concerns with the British leadership, informing investors that while it has engaged with representatives on both sides, it had positive discussions directly with the US administration but needed greater initiative from UK ministers.
The company called on British authorities to protect the needs of niche automakers such as itself, which create numerous employment opportunities and add value to local economies and the wider British car industry network.
International Commerce Impact
Trump has disrupted the global economy with a trade war this year, significantly affecting the car sector through the introduction of a 25 percent duty on April 3, on top of an existing 2.5 percent charge.
During May, American and British leaders agreed to a deal to cap duties on 100,000 UK-built cars annually to 10 percent. This rate took effect on 30th June, coinciding with the final day of the company's second financial quarter.
Agreement Criticism
However, Aston Martin expressed reservations about the trade deal, stating that the implementation of a US tariff quota mechanism introduces further complexity and limits the company's ability to precisely predict financial performance for the current fiscal year-end and possibly quarterly from 2026 onwards.
Other Factors
The carmaker also pointed to reduced sales partly due to greater likelihood for supply chain pressures, particularly following a recent cyber incident at a major UK automotive manufacturer.
UK automotive sector has been shaken this year by a cyber-attack on the country's largest automotive employer, which prompted a manufacturing halt.
Financial Reaction
Stock in the company, traded on the London Stock Exchange, fell by more than 11% as markets opened on Monday at the start of the week before recovering some ground to stand down 7%.
The group delivered one thousand four hundred thirty cars in its Q3, missing previous guidance of being roughly equal to the 1,641 cars sold in the same period the previous year.
Upcoming Initiatives
Decline in sales coincides with Aston Martin gears up to release its flagship hypercar, a rear-engine supercar costing around $1 million, which it expects will increase profits. Deliveries of the vehicle are expected to begin in the final quarter of its fiscal year, though a forecast of approximately one hundred fifty deliveries in those three months was lower than previous expectations, due to engineering delays.
The brand, well-known for its roles in James Bond films, has initiated a evaluation of its future cost and investment strategy, which it indicated would likely lead to lower spending in engineering and development versus earlier forecasts of about £2bn between its 2025 and 2029 fiscal years.
The company also informed shareholders that it does not anticipate to generate profitable cash generation for the second half of its current year.
UK authorities was approached for a statement.