Automakers Post Mixed October Sales, Some Strength Under the Hood

Major automakers reported mixed October sales figures on Monday, with Chrysler boasting a 22% rise in sales compared to the same month last year. Chrysler posted its best October since 2001, driven by the Jeep brand, which saw a 52% increase in sales, and Ram trucks, which rose 36%. General Motors' sales rose just 0.2% compared to the 2.1% consensus. However, Jim Cramer and Stephanie Link, who own shares of GM in their Action Alerts Plus charitable trust portfolio, say under the surface, the GM report is solid. Ford reported a 1.7% decline in sales last month, despite a nearly 25% gain in its Lincoln brand. Major U.S. automakers are expected to show a rise of about 6% from last year, reaching a seasonally adjusted annualized rate of 16.5 million vehicles, according to Thomson Reuters.