Goodyear Tire & Rubber Stock Becoming a Mighty Good Bargain

 | Nov 10, 2022 03:10AM ET

  • Goodyear Tires owns the top market share of replacement tires in the U.S.
  • Cost inflation and strong dollar have been negative headwinds c
  • Goodyear Tire shares trade at 7X forward earnings
  • As one of the largest tire manufacturers in the world, Goodyear Tire & Rubber (NASDAQ:GT) was hit hard during the pandemic when commuters stayed off the roads under stay-at-home mandates. Shares fell as low at $4.09 in March 2020. The reopening triggered a spike in automobile sales and commuter traffic driven by pent-up demand as the spread of vaccinations enabled economies and businesses to reopen. Rideshare companies Uber (NYSE:UBER) and LYFT (NASDAQ:LYFT) were also big benefactors in the reopening as commuters who opted not to drive or take public transportation returned to the roads. Supply chain disruptions, logistics challenges, and soaring cost inflation also were mitigated by the strong pent-up demand. While inflation continues to be a troubling headwind, rising interest rates and a strong U.S. dollar have been the bigger problems as they start to impact the top and bottom lines after a record 2021.

    h2 Strong Dollar Strikes Again /h2

    The strong U.S. dollar impact shrunk Goodyear Tires' net sales from 15% in constant currency to 8% in Q3 2022. It has also made it difficult to forecast projections for European sales, especially with the potential of a recession looming. Shares have fallen by (-53%) in 2022 losing over half its value from the peak at $24.89 in November 2021. Goodyear shares were frothy at those levels, but the drop in share prices nearing single digits makes for a compelling value proposition as it returns to 2020 price levels. Since then, Goodyear completed its acquisition of rival Cooper Tire & Rubber in June 2021 surpassing Michelin (OTC:MGDDY) as the top tire manufacturer in the U.S. In essence, buying GT stock is like getting two (complementary) companies for the price of one.

    h2 Cooper Tire & Rubber Synergies/h2

    The merger of Goodyear and Cooper has been accretive and synergistic in a multitude of ways due to its complementary business models, products, distribution channels, and organizational structures. It sealed Goodyear’s market share at the top spot in the U.S. and doubled its presence in China. It added broader distribution to Cooper throughout Goodyear’s 2,500 stores. The complementary brands complete the portfolio spectrum of Goodyear OEM and premium tires along with the mid-tier power of the Cooper brand, which specializes in the light truck and SUV segments. Up to $165 million in run-rate cost savings are expected within two years of the acquisition. Cost synergies are mostly derived from overlapping corporate functions and operating efficiencies in addition to generating a net present value of at least $450 million utilizing Goodyear’s U.S. tax attributes, which reduce cash tax payments. Goodyear not only sells tires, but also auto services that cover oil changes, brakes, batteries, and tire repair, replacement and alignment services. These value-added services can now to sold to existing Cooper Tire customers. The combination increases its scale to support investments in new mobility and fleet solutions.

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