Ford Abandons Mazda Control with 20% Stake Sale

Ford Motor, scrambling for cash as the U.S. Big Three automakers struggle to stay alive, will end 12 years of control of Mazda Motor through the sale of a 20 percent stake in the
Japanese carmaker.

Source: mazdausa.com 2008 Mazda CX-7

Mazda, in which Ford first took a stake in 1979, said on Tuesday it would buy back 6.87 percent of its own shares from Ford for up to 17.9 billion yen ($185 million), keeping them as treasury stock.

Ford will raise more than 52 billion yen ($538 million) from the sale and remain Mazda's top shareholder with a stake of just over 13 percent.

More than 20 undisclosed business partners will purchase the remaining 13 percent, Mazda said.

Reeling from slowing sales, Detroit's General Motors , Ford and Chrysler LLC are desperately trying to raise cash to survive in the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. Executives from all three are expected to amplify their calls for a financial lifeline from the U.S.
government at Congressional hearings beginning on Tuesday.

As part of the ownership change, Mazda said two board members -- Chief Financial Officer David Friedman and sales and marketing chief Daniel Morris -- would return to Ford. Executive Vice President Philip Spender will remain.

Mazda Chief Executive Hisakazu Imaki -- the first Japanese CEO after a string of four Ford executives at the helm since 1996 -- will cede his post to another executive vice president, Takashi Yamanouchi, to become chairman of the board.

All personnel changes will take effect on Wednesday.

Slowing auto sales and the global financial crisis have sent shares of Ford plunging and led to a worse-than-expected $2.98 billion operating loss in the latest quarter.

The two firms, which share vehicle platforms and engineering resources and jointly own assembly plants in the United States, Thailand and China, will keep their strategic ties, Imaki told a news conference at Mazda headquarters in Hiroshima, monitored in Tokyo.

"The sale of Mazda shares by our partner, Ford, will not result in any change in Mazda's strategic direction," Imaki said. "We will continue our strategic relationship through our ongoing joint ventures with Ford, as well as the sharing of platforms and powertrains."

Since raising its stake in Mazda to a controlling 33.4 percent in 1996, Ford has rescued the carmaker from the brink, helping it to restore its brand image through strong, stylish products such as the Mazda6/Atenza and Mazda3/Axela. 

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In return, Ford has benefited by tapping Mazda's strength in the development of smaller cars.

"This agreement allows Ford to raise capital that will help fund our product-led transformation, and at the same time, allows Ford and Mazda to continue our successful strategic relationship in the best interest of both companies," Ford CEO Alan Mulally said in a statement released by Mazda.

Analysts have said they expected little short-term change to the relationship between Ford and Mazda given their closely intertwined operations and platform-sharing.

Some said having a more stable set of shareholders could be positive for Mazda, although the arrangement would leave its balance sheet, already on the weak side, slightly weaker.

"It's not the ideal solution from anyone," said an analyst at a Western brokerage, declining to be named. "From a strategic perspective there's not much change, but it was a desperate move by Ford, selling at this low price, and Mazda had no choice but to buy back part of it because they couldn't find enough buyers."

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Mazda, which had cash or cash equivalents worth 215 billion yen at the end of September, said it would use its own funds to buy back the shares on Wednesday at Tuesday's closing price of 184 yen.

Earlier this year, Ford sold the premium Jaguar and Land Rover brands to India's Tata Motors and is said to be looking for a buyer for its Volvo Cars arm.

Ford has promised to keep the remaining 13 percent stake for the time being, Imaki said.

Mazda's shares jumped on an earlier Nikkei business daily report that the announcement could come on Tuesday. The stock ended the day 6.4 percent higher at 184 yen.

Imaki declined to disclose the other buyers, but media reports have named trading houses Sumitomo Corp and Itochu Corp, auto parts maker Denso Corp and non-life insurance companies including Tokio Marine Holdings among the possible buyers.

A day earlier, GM said it would sell the remaining 3 percent it held in Suzuki Motor for $232 million.

Nissan CEO Ghosn Sees Zero Profits in Second Half

Separately, Nissan Motor chief executive officer Carlos Ghosn sees the Japanese carmaker's profits at zero in the October-March second half of the business year, the Wall Street Journal reported in its Asian edition on Wednesday.

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He made the profit warning in an interview with the newspaper.

The report also quoted him as saying Renault, which he also heads, would fall short of meeting its earlier operating profit margin targets of 2.5 percent in 2008 and 6 percent in 2009.

On Oct. 31, Nissan forecast an operating profit of 78.35 billion yen ($807.6 million) and a net profit of 33.66 billion yen for the six months to March.

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