Stellantis Needs A Fast Fix As Shares At Lows And China Rivals Advance

Stellantis CEO Antonio Filosa (Photo by MARCO BERTORELLO / AFP via Getty Images)

AFP via Getty Images

Stellantis investors must be running out of patience. The shares are down more than 55% this year, and the global auto giant faces mounting pressure for radical action to counter Chinese competition, repair the damage from costly electric-vehicle missteps and prune an unwieldy stable of brands.

Analysts wonder why the overhaul is taking so long, although the CEO says he is going as fast as possible. One move they do applaud is Stellantis’s deepening alliance with China’s Leapmotor , which offers a potentially fast route to the affordable, competitive EVs it badly needs in Europe and beyond.

Stellantis’s share price decline has included a couple of big plunges. In early February, investors were stunned by news of a €22.2 billion ($25.9 billion) write-down and a huge loss for 2025, mainly because of misjudging the speed of the switch to electric vehicles. That generated a 25% share price shellacking. Late last month, a near-9% dive followed news of much lower-than-expected profits, slow margin recovery and the expectation of high restructuring costs in Europe.

After the results, CEO Antonio Filosa said Stellantis was progressing as fast as it could.

“We need time. These are not challenges that you address overnight. We are on track. We are executing properly as fast as possible,” he told reporters, according to Reuters.

Conditions in Europe are torrid for the locals. Volkswagen has threatened to layoff 100,000 workers and shut four factories. Stellantis has said it will act to combat its problems, but analysts are wondering what is taking so long. CEO Filosa has said the 14 brands will be led by four core names - Jeep, Ram, Peugeot, and Fiat.

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Analysts expect some of the 14 will not survive for long. In Europe there are the mass-market brands Citroen, Opel, Vauxhall and Lancia. DS, Alfa Romeo and Abarth sit in the wannabe-premium sector. Dodge and Chrysler make up the numbers in the U.S. Then there is storied Italian sportscar maker Maserati.

Stellantis is getting the thumbs down from investment banks. UBS cut its rating to “neutral” from “buy” after the second-quarter results, although investors must have breathed a sigh of relief that it saw enough hope for Stellantis by declining to downgrade to “sell”. UBS said there was hope that the important U.S. operation had the potential for a strong recovery.

Investment researcher Bernstein downgraded Stellantis to “underperform”, calling the second quarter results in a report a “sobering reality check and thus the final straw”. HSBC Global Investment Research left its rating unchanged at “maintain reduce”.

“Bloated U.S. inventories and weak market share development point to an upcoming need to de-stock, again. Tough pricing, potential production cuts and ongoing recall campaigns all lead to poor visibility on earnings,” HSBC said in a report.

In May, Stellantis published its five-year plan, which included the launch of 60 new models by 2030 and the spending of €60 billion ($70 billion) making them. The plan included cutting European production capacity by 800,000 but provided no details. But there were no factory closures, nor were any of the brands killed. 70% of Stellantis spending would be on the core brands Jeep, RAM, Peugeot and Fiat.

According to French auto consultancy Inovev, future investment would be concentrated on these four brands.

The Maserati case remains open

“The ten other brands that will receive less investment will be limited to a specific region. Low volume brands like DS and Lancia will come under the direct control of Citroen and Fiat, meaning they will lose their independence because sales are deemed too low. The Maserati case remains open as BYD could make an offer as early as this year to acquire this luxury brand,” Inovev said in a report.

BYD hasn’t commented on this possibility.

Chinese partners Leapmotor and Dongfeng would provide electric vehicle technology and use some of Stellantis’s idle factory capacity in Europe to make their own products or badge them with Stellantis brand names. But so far there has been little vigorous action to placate investors. That action can’t be delayed for long.

Felipe Munoz, who runs the industry research platform Car Industry Analysis, said drastic action along the lines of Volkswagen’s is required urgently, and it can’t go on with 14 brands when more than 10 require new products and fast.

“Volkswagen's critical situation is just the tip of the iceberg, and if they are facing big challenges ahead, the other two big mainstream players from Europe - Stellantis and Renault - are even more vulnerable to the fast-changing conditions of the market,” Munoz said in an email exchange.

“Although Stellantis sales are rebounding a bit in Europe this year, they don’t seem to be sustainable under the current plan. I mean, they aim to introduce very few new models over the next 5 years compared to the high quantity of new cars that are coming from China every month. Yes, it is the first-ever realistic plan shown by Stellantis, but let’s be honest, it is not enough to face China,” Munoz said.

More than 10 brands in dire need of fresh products

“This is why I think that following VW’s painful measures, Stellantis is heading to the same solutions: less production capacity through JVs with the Chinese makers and closures, less staff, and focus on the brands/products that have a real potential. It can’t go on with 14 brands of which more than 10 are in dire need of fresh products,” according to Munoz.

Automotive consultant and lecturer at FHM Berlin Frank Schwope, doesn’t see many hopeful signs for Stellantis, but he likes the tie-up with Leapmotor, which has allowed it to be a leader amongst European EV manufacturers.

And this is where its mega brand policy can be a big help. Even the Chinese giants like BYD, SAIC’s MG and Chery are struggling to build up dealer networks quickly. Stellantis can offer to sell Leapmotors through its ready-made and huge brand network, and short-cut the route to personal EV services.

According to Schwope, this might also open opportunities to create alliances with a Chinese manufacturer.

“Stellantis is working with Leapmotor to successfully shape the future of electric mobility in Europe. Without a partner, the transition to electric mobility in Europe is likely to prove difficult. In Europe, Stellantis is reliant on Chinese expertise and may need to forge closer ties with a Chinese conglomerate," Schwope said.

Munoz also sees this link up with Leapmotor as a huge opportunity.

Leapmotor a lifesaver?

“The bright spot that none of its European peers have is Leapmotor. It has been probably its best bet since Stellantis was created in 2021,” Munoz said.

In 2021 a merger between Fiat Chrysler and France’s Groupe PSA in 2021 was named Stellantis and included the 14 brands.

“This Chinese carmaker could become a life-saver in the coming months and change things for good if it’s properly managed outside China. They have very competitive products that can be game-changers not only in Europe but in Latin America and North Africa,” Munoz said.