Stellantis Stock Shrugs Off UAW Strike Authorization Vote: What to Know

The UAW will hold a vote to authorize a strike against Stellantis for failing to hold up its end of a 2023 contract. Here's what this means.

Stellantis UAW workers on strike, holding up signs at rally in Sterling Heights, Michigan
(Image credit: Jeff Kowalsky/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

The United Auto Workers (UAW) will hold strike authorization votes at one or more of its Stellantis (STLA) local chapters in the coming days, UAW President Shawn Fain said in a Facebook Live on Tuesday

"In our 2023 negotiations, we secured $19 billion in product & investment commitments from Stellantis… And now they are admitting they do NOT plan to honor those plans," Fain said in the livestream. "We are 100% within our rights and within our power to take strike action if necessary."

Fain said that once a strike is authorized at a Stellantis local, the UAW will meet with the automaker seven times and either resolve the issue or take strike action. 

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The UAW's announcement came after the union filed federal unfair labor practice charges against Stellantis on Monday.

"The commitments we made during 2023 negotiations span the life of the 4-year, 7-1/2 month agreement, so it is not surprising that they haven't been fully realized in the first year," said Stellantis in a statement, according to Reuters.

Is Stellantis stock a buy, sell or hold?

While Stellantis is brushing off the UAW news, up modestly in Wednesday's session, the automaker has struggled mightily on the price charts, down 30% for the year to date on a total return basis (price change plus dividends). Yet, Wall Street is mostly bullish on the consumer discretionary stock

According to S&P Global Market Intelligence, the consensus analyst target price for STLA stock is $24.26, representing implied upside more than 59% to current levels. Additionally, the consensus recommendation is Buy. 

Not everyone is all in on the large-cap stock, though. Financial services firm CFRA Research has a Hold rating on STLA with an $18 price target.

As indicated in the company's first-half earnings report, Stellantis "expects a neutral revenue backdrop, double-digit adjusted operating income margin, and positive industrial free cash flow" this fiscal year, said CFRA Research analyst Garrett Nelson in a July 25 note. 

However, the stock's price struggles seem "to have largely accounted for these challenges," Nelson added. "STLA continues to trade at a steep but justified discount to automaker peers and we view a Hold rating as appropriate."

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Joey Solitro
Contributor

Joey Solitro is a freelance financial journalist at Kiplinger with more than a decade of experience. A longtime equity analyst, Joey has covered a range of industries for media outlets including The Motley Fool, Seeking Alpha, Market Realist, and TipRanks. Joey holds a bachelor's degree in business administration.