Honda Motor Co.'s HMC auto financing arm, American Honda Finance Corp., has been fined $12.8 million by the U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) for allegedly providing inaccurate information that affected the credit reports of hundreds of thousands of Honda and Acura customers.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Honda Finance allowed customers to defer auto loan payments. However, the CFPB found that these accounts were mistakenly reported as delinquent instead of current to credit bureaus. The CFPB also accused Honda Finance of failing to properly investigate customer disputes. As a result, the company must pay $10.3 million in compensation to affected customers and a $2.5 million penalty to the CFPB's victims relief fund.

Honda is known for its reliability and affordability. The surge in hybrid adoption is boosting the company's sales. The company aims to sell one million hybrids this year and double production to two million by 2030. In fiscal 2025, HMC projects to sell 13.06 million motorcycles and 2.97 million automobiles, reflecting year-over-year growth of 7% and 4%, respectively, driven by higher sales in the United States and Japan. 

The automaker aims for EVs and fuel cell EVs to constitute 100% of its global vehicle sales by 2040. To achieve this, Honda plans to establish a comprehensive, vertically integrated EV supply chain, focusing on reducing battery costs by more than 20% in North America by 2030. It aims to lower overall production costs by 35% and secure batteries for the production of two million EVs annually by the decade’s end. 

However, Honda’s Power Products segment has been struggling with declining revenues due to reduced demand across most markets. High R&D expenses on advanced technologies and alternative fuels for the development of electric and autonomous vehicles bode well for the company’s future but are likely to limit its near-term margins.

HMC’s Zacks Rank & Key Picks

Honda currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).

Some better-ranked stocks in the auto space are Geely Automobile Holdings Limited GELYY, Blue Bird Corporation BLBD and Allison Transmission Holdings, Inc. ALSN, each sporting a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) at present. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for GELYY’s fiscal 2025 sales and earnings suggests year-over-year growth of 66.62% and 149.31%, respectively. EPS estimates for fiscal 2025 and 2026 have improved by 15 cents and 38 cents, respectively, in the past 30 days. 

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for BLBD’s fiscal 2025 sales and earnings suggests year-over-year growth of 10.97% and 12.14%, respectively. EPS estimates for fiscal 2025 have improved 18 cents in the past 60 days.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for ALSN’s 2024 sales and earnings suggests year-over-year growth of 6.10% and 11.89%, respectively. EPS estimates for 2024 and 2025 have improved 2 cents and 3 cents, respectively, in the past seven days.

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Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (HMC) : Free Stock Analysis Report

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