In this week’s Tuesday Ticker, global economic turmoil leads a coatings company announces a significant price hike and two OEMs reorganize themselves to prepare for a world new technologies and shorter development cycles.
PPG raises prices up to 20% across coatings portfolio
A coatings giant is raising its prices in response to economic turbulence.
PPG is lifting prices by up to 20% across its global coatings portfolio as it works to offset rising costs tied to raw materials, energy, freight and packaging.
The increase covers products used across industrial and automotive applications, including refinish coatings supplied to bodyshops. The move follows sustained cost pressure in key inputs such as resins and pigments, alongside higher transportation and energy expenses.
Chairman and CEO Tim Knavish said: “This pricing action allows us to ensure availability of supply as we navigate unexpected and increased cost pressures.” The increases are being implemented globally and are already in progress across multiple product lines.
PPG shares closed at US$110.54 on April 14, the last close before the announcement, and were most recently at US$114.88 on April 20, up US$4.34 or 3.9%.
Ford creates new unit to integrate EV, software and manufacturing
Ford is reorganizing how it builds vehicles.
The automaker is bringing engineering, software and manufacturing under a single structure as it pushes to accelerate development of electric and software-defined vehicles.
On April 16 the Michigan company announced the creation of a product creation and industrialization organization combining its EV, digital and design teams with its global industrial system.
The change is intended to reduce development complexity, improve co-ordination between design and production and shorten time to market for new vehicles. The company has also set a target to refresh 80% of its North American lineup by volume by 2029.
“This is the culmination of years of work and progress to create the modern Ford," said president and CEO Jim Farley.
Shares most recently at US$12.80 on April 20, up US$0.09 or 0.7% since the announcement.
Nissan outlines long-term plan centred on AI-driven vehicles
Nissan is setting out how it plans to simplify its lineup and expand the role of artificial intelligence across its vehicles.
The strategy centres on fewer models, more shared platforms and wider deployment of advanced driver-assist and software systems.
On April 19, the Japanese OEM announced its mobility intelligence for everyday life vision, which includes deploying Nissan AI Drive technology across most future models. The company is focusing on core markets including Japan, the U.S. and China while working to improve development efficiency and reduce product complexity. The plan is designed to support the shift toward software-defined vehicles and integrated digital systems. The company is also cutting its global lineup from 56 models to 45 and consolidating about 80% of its volume into three core vehicle families built on shared platforms.
“This is the right moment to articulate Nissan’s long-term vision as we look beyond the Re:Nissan plan," said president and CEO Ivan Espinosa in a press statement.
Following the announcement, shares rose by ¥32.6 or about 9.4%.
