World auto big Stellantis on Thursday reported a ten% year-on-year fall in revenue within the second half of 2023, as six-week strikes on the so-called “Detroit Three” automakers hampered manufacturing within the group’s North American revenue epicenter.

Adjusted working revenue (AOI) got here in at 10.2 billion euros ($10.96 billion) for the July to December interval, down from 11.3 billion euros for a similar interval in 2022.

Nevertheless, the earnings proved extra resilient to the impression of business motion than the market had anticipated, with AOI exceeding a forecast of 9.54 billion euros by analysts polled by Reuters. Stellantis shares jumped greater than 4% in morning commerce in Europe following the outcomes.

In North America, the group’s AOI margin fell 100 foundation factors year-on-year to fifteen.4%, which Stellantis mentioned in its earnings report was “due primarily to manufacturing disruptions and prices associated to new labor agreements.”

Stellantis reported in late October that labor strikes by the United Auto Employees union, which ran for six weeks from Sept. 15 and in addition focused Basic Motors and Ford Motor, price the corporate $3.2 billion in income via October.

The corporate, which owns family names together with Jeep, Dodge, Fiat Chrysler and Peugeot, reached an settlement with the UAW in early November that can see the corporate make investments $18.9 billion within the U.S. by 2028. Stellantis staff stateside ratified the deal, which incorporates no less than 25% wage will increase and the reopening of an idled plant in Illinois, on Nov. 17.

Second-half industrial free money flows had been down 24% from the identical interval final 12 months at 4.2 billion euros, whereas revenues had been additionally down barely at 91.2 billion euros.

Regardless of the hit from the six weeks of business motion, the auto big reported sturdy earnings for 2023 as a complete.

Internet revenues got here in at 189.5 billion euros for the total 12 months, up 6% from 2022, and consolidated cargo volumes rose 7%. Adjusted working revenue for 2023 was up 1% to 24.3 billion euros, whereas industrial free money flows elevated by 19% to 12.9 billion euros.

The world’s third-largest automaker by revenues on Thursday proposed a dividend to shareholders of 1.55 euros per widespread share, roughly a 16% enhance from the earlier 12 months, and introduced a 2024 share buyback program of three billion euros.

“As we simply handed the three-year mark since Stellantis’ inception, I warmly thank our groups who’re executing on the highest ranges and contributing drastically to our development story, even within the strongest of headwinds,” Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares mentioned in an announcement.

“Immediately’s document monetary outcomes are proof that we’ve got develop into a brand new world chief in our business and can stay rock stable as we glance to a turbulent 2024.”