DETROIT (AP) _ General Motors, Ford, Nissan and Toyota are all posting strong monthly U.S. sales numbers, confirming expectations that the industry would rebound in September.
GM reported on Tuesday that sales rose 11.9 percent to just over 279,000, while Ford sales rose 8.7 percent to just over 222,000. Nissan posted a September record of nearly 140,000 sales, up 9.5 percent, while Toyota sales rose 14.9 percent to nearly 227,000.
Fiat Chrysler reported a 10 percent decrease to 174,000 on a planned reduction of sales to rental car companies
Industry analysts had predicted a strong month due to Labor Day weekend deals and a small boost from owners replacing cars damaged by Hurricanes in Texas and Florida.
The auto website Edmunds.com expects overall sales to rise 0.4 percent from last year.
Overall industry sales fell 2.7 percent through the first eight months of the year and were off 1.9 percent in August as Hurricane Harvey battered Texas.
Shares of all automakers, save for Tesla, rose in early trading Tuesday, pushing the Standard & Poor’s consumer sector higher.
Telsla reported late Monday that it had fallen well short of production goals for the third quarter and shares in the electric car maker were under pressure.
AP-WF-10-03-17 1432GMT
