General Motors Co (GM): Today's Featured Consumer Goods Winner

Editor's Note: TheStreet ratings do not represent the views of TheStreet's staff or its contributors. Ratings are established by computer based on metrics for performance (which includes growth, stock performance, efficiency and valuation) and risk (volatility and solvency). Companies with poor cash flow or high debt levels tend to earn lower ratings in our model.

General Motors (GM) pushed the Consumer Goods sector higher today making it today's featured consumer goods winner. The sector as a whole closed the day up 1.1%. By the end of trading, General Motors rose 40 cents (1.7%) to $23.53 on average volume. Throughout the day, 9.4 million shares of General Motors exchanged hands as compared to its average daily volume of 8.2 million shares. The stock ranged in a price between $22.82-$23.68 after having opened the day at $23.05 as compared to the previous trading day's close of $23.13. Other companies within the Consumer Goods sector that increased today were: Cereplast (CERP), up 13.4%, STR Holdings (STRI), up 9.5%, Chromcraft Revington (CRC), up 8.8%, and Enova Systems (ENA), up 8.2%.

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General Motors Company (GM) designs, manufactures, and markets cars, crossovers, trucks, and automobile parts worldwide. General Motors has a market cap of $35.97 billion and is part of the automotive industry. The company has a P/E ratio of 8.2, equal to the average automotive industry P/E ratio and below the S&P 500 P/E ratio of 17.7. Shares are up 13.3% year to date as of the close of trading on Wednesday. Currently there are 10 analysts that rate General Motors a buy, one analyst rates it a sell, and four rate it a hold.

TheStreet Ratings rates General Motors as a hold. The company's strengths can be seen in multiple areas, such as its attractive valuation levels, largely solid financial position with reasonable debt levels by most measures and increase in stock price during the past year. However, as a counter to these strengths, we also find weaknesses including feeble growth in the company's earnings per share, deteriorating net income and poor profit margins.

• You can view the full General Ratings Report.

• Use our consumer goods section to find sector-relevant news.
• Or find some new ideas from our top rated stocks lists.

For investors not wanting singular stock exposure, ETFs may be of interest. Investors who are bullish on the consumer goods sector could consider iShares Dow Jones US Cons Goods (IYK) while those bearish on the consumer goods sector could consider ProShares Ultra Sht Consumer Goods (SZK).

• Find other investment ideas from our top rated ETFs lists.

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