© Reuters.
Investing.com– Hong Kong shares of Dongfeng Group (HK:) fell sharply on Monday after the Chinese carmaker warned investors that it was likely to clock a loss for 2023 amid weakening vehicle sales and competition from electric vehicles.
Dongfeng’s shares slid 11.2% to HK$3.02, hitting a near one-month low. They largely lagged the broader index, which rose 1% on Monday.
Dongfeng said it expected a net loss attributable of not more than HK$ 4 billion ($500 million) for the year to December 31 2023, compared to a profit of HK$10.27 billion a year ago.
The firm cited pressure on sales of its non-premium joint venture brands, which saw vehicle prices fall sharply over the past year. The company has ventures with several international carmakers, including Honda (NYSE:) Motor Co Ltd (TYO:), Renault SA (EPA:), Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. (TYO:) and Stellantis NV (NYSE:), and sells their branded vehicles in China.
But China’s vehicle market faced increased pressure over the past year as consumer spending slowed, with traditional, internal combustion engine vehicles seeing a sharp sales decline on competition from the EV sector.
Dongfeng has no EV offerings, and said on Monday that its new energy business was still in “the strategic investment period.”