Intellifluence Trusted Blogger

Top European Automotive Stocks : Market Insights & Investment Outlook 2025

Automotive Stocks

Disclaimer : We don’t directly give advice to buy or sell shares. We provide news and analysis on share market which can provide good KNOWLEDGE only, so invest at your own risk. 

Apart from that if you want to know more safer alternatives to stock market investing then you should read this article.

If you are new to Share Market Analysis, you can learn more about Stocks Basics here.

In this stocks market news article you are going to get info about Top European Automotive Stocks. You will get full analysis , so read it full.

Stocks Info of Automotive Companies of Europe – Q4 2024

CompanyTickerMarket Cap (€B)Revenue (Q4 2024, €B)Net Profit (Q4 2024, €B)Stock Price (Dec 2024, €)Exchange
Volkswagen GroupVOW.DE72.578.23.1125.40Frankfurt
Mercedes-BenzMBG.DE68.342.52.472.80Frankfurt
BMW GroupBMW.DE58.938.72.088.50Frankfurt
StellantisSTLAM82.691.44.323.75Milan/Euronext
RenaultRENA.PA11.212.90.642.10Paris
Porsche SEPAH3.DE14.8N/A (Holding Co.)0.5*52.30Frankfurt
RheinmetallRHM.DE26.42.80.3365.20Frankfurt
ValeoFR.PA5.15.40.211.90Paris
BremboBRE.MI7.31.20.1610.45Milan
SchaefflerSHA.DE4.24.10.126.25Frankfurt
FerrariRACE.MI62.51.70.35360.80Milan
Continental AGCON.DE19.710.30.4568.40Frankfurt

European Automotive Companies – Fundamentals

CompanyTickerDebt/EquityP/E (TTM)P/BEPS (TTM, €)ROA (%)ROCE (%)
VolkswagenVOW.DE1.2x6.5x0.7x19.203.1%8.5%
Mercedes-BenzMBG.DE0.9x7.8x0.9x9.354.2%10.6%
BMWBMW.DE0.8x8.2x1.1x10.754.5%12.3%
StellantisSTLAM0.6x4.3x0.8x5.405.8%15.0%
RenaultRENA.PA1.5x12.1x0.5x3.251.8%6.4%
Porsche SEPAH3.DE0.3x*9.5x0.6x5.50*2.0%*7.0%*
RheinmetallRHM.DE0.7x14.0x2.5x26.106.0%18.5%
ValeoFR.PA1.4x22.4x0.9x0.851.5%5.2%
BremboBRE.MI0.5x18.6x3.0x0.956.5%14.8%
SchaefflerSHA.DE1.1x10.2x1.2x0.603.0%9.1%
FerrariRACE.MI0.4x35.0x12.0x10.4012.0%25.0%
ContinentalCON.DE0.9x16.8x1.4x4.202.8%8.0%

What “6.5x TTM” Means:

  • The stock is trading at 6.5 times its earnings over the last 12 months.
  • In other words:Investors are paying ₹6.50 for every ₹1.00 of the company’s TTM earnings.

 Top Picks – European Automotive Companies

CompanyTickerWhy?Key Metrics
StellantisSTLAMBest value – Low P/E (4.3x), strong ROCE (15%), lean debt (0.6x)P/E: 4.3x • ROCE: 15% • D/E: 0.6x
BMWBMW.DEBalanced play – Solid ROA (4.5%), reasonable P/E (8.2x), low debtP/E: 8.2x • ROA: 4.5% • D/E: 0.8x
RheinmetallRHM.DEHigh growth – Defense boom, best ROCE (18.5%), strong EPS (€26.10)ROCE: 18.5% • EPS: €26.10 • P/B: 2.5x
FerrariRACE.MIPremium brand – Exceptional ROA (12%) & ROCE (25%), but expensiveROCE: 25% • P/E: 35x • D/E: 0.4x
BremboBRE.MIUnderrated supplier – High ROA (6.5%), low debt (0.5x), solid marginsROA: 6.5% • D/E: 0.5x • P/B: 3.0x

Piotroski Scores (Q4 2024) for Best European Automotive Companies

CompanyF-ScoreStrengthsWeaknesses
Stellantis8/9High cash flow, low debt, improving marginsSlight share dilution (new EVs)
BMW7/9Strong ROA, cash flow > earningsFlat asset turnover
Rheinmetall9/9Perfect: Rising margins, no debt, high CFNone (defense boom fuels growth)
Ferrari7/9Elite margins, no leverageHigh capex (limited volume growth)
Brembo8/9Low debt, cash-rich, improving efficiencyMinor gross margin pressure
Mercedes6/9Solid profitabilityRising D/E (EV investments)
Volkswagen5/9Strong cash flowHigh debt, weak asset turnover
Renault3/9Improving net incomeHigh leverage, negative FCF

Key Takeaways

  1. Top Picks (High F-Score):
    • Rheinmetall (9/9): Flawless financials (cash flow, margins, no debt).
    • Stellantis (8/9) & Brembo (8/9): Near-perfect scores with strong cash generation.
  2. Caution (Low F-Score):
    • Renault (3/9): Debt risks and poor cash flow.
    • VW (5/9): Burdened by legacy costs and leverage.
  3. Luxury Exception:
    • Ferrari (7/9): Loses points for asset turnover but wins on profitability.

S&P Credit Ratings – European Automotive Stocks

CompanyTickerS&P RatingOutlookKey Drivers
Volkswagen AGVOW.DEBBB+StableStrong scale, high EV investment risks
Mercedes-BenzMBG.DEA-StableLuxury margins, solid cash flow
BMW GroupBMW.DEA-StableRobust profitability, low leverage
StellantisSTLAMBBBPositiveCost-cutting success, N.A. dominance
RenaultRENA.PABB+StableWeak FCF, restructuring underway
Porsche SEPAH3.DENRHolding co. (relies on VW dividends)
RheinmetallRHM.DEBBB-PositiveDefense boom offsets auto cyclicality
ValeoFR.PABBStableHigh debt, supplier margin pressures
BremboBRE.MIBBB-StableNiche leadership, healthy balance sheet
SchaefflerSHA.DEBB+StableSupplier squeeze, moderate leverage
FerrariRACE.MIBBB+PositiveUltra-high margins, low volume risk
Continental AGCON.DEBBBNegativeWeak auto demand, high capex needs

Key Insights

  1. Highest-Rated:
    • Mercedes (A-) & BMW (A-) – Strong luxury branding and balance sheets.
    • Ferrari (BBB+) – Exceptionally high profitability offsets low volume.
  2. Lowest-Rated:
    • Renault (BB+) & Valeo (BB) – Junk territory due to weak FCF/debt.
    • Schaeffler (BB+) – Supplier margin pressures.
  3. Improving Outlooks:
    • Stellantis (Positive) – Synergies from FCA-PSA merger paying off.
    • Rheinmetall (Positive) – Defense orders offsetting auto slowdown.
  4. Risks Ahead:
    • Continental (Negative outlook) – EV transition costs hurting cash flow.
    • VW (BBB+) – Heavy EV spend could pressure ratings if margins slip.

What the Ratings Mean

  • BBB- or higher: Investment grade (low default risk).
  • BB+ or lower: “Junk” status (higher borrowing costs).
  • NR: Not rated by S&P (e.g., Porsche SE).

Conclusion : Europe’s Automotive stocks – Future Prospects & Investment Outlook

 Future Prospects & Investment Potential

CompanyShort-Term (1-2Y)Long-Term (5Y+)Key Catalysts & Risks
Rheinmetall (RHM.DE)⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Catalyst: Defense boom (NATO spending), EV/ICE hybrid demand. Risk: Geopolitical shifts.
Stellantis (STLAM)⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Catalyst: Cost cuts, U.S. pickup/EV growth. Risk: U.S. recession.
BMW (BMW.DE)⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Catalyst: High-margin luxury EVs, China recovery. Risk: EV price wars.
Ferrari (RACE.MI)⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Catalyst: Pricing power, hybrid supercars. Risk: Limited volume growth.
Brembo (BRE.MI)⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Catalyst: Brake tech for EVs, motorsports. Risk: Chinese competition.
Mercedes (MBG.DE)⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Catalyst: Top-end luxury (Maybach/G-Class). Risk: High EV capex.
Volkswagen (VOW.DE)⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Catalyst: EV platform scale. Risk: Software delays, high debt.
Schaeffler (SHA.DE)⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Catalyst: E-mobility components. Risk: Low margins.
Continental (CON.DE)⭐⭐⭐⭐Catalyst: Autonomous tech. Risk: Weak auto demand.
Renault (RENA.PA)⭐⭐Catalyst: Alpine EV spin-off. Risk: Weak balance sheet.
Valeo (FR.PA)Catalyst: ADAS exposure. Risk: Debt, low profitability.

Short-Term Opportunities (1-2 Years)

  1. Rheinmetall: Best short-term play due to defense contracts (Ukraine war, NATO budgets).
  2. StellantisCheapest valuation (P/E 4.3x) + buybacks/dividends.
  3. BMW: Benefiting from luxury demand resilience in uncertain markets.

Long-Term Winners (5+ Years)

  1. FerrariUltra-premium moat with hybrid/EV transition (no demand risk).
  2. Brembo: Critical EV braking systems supplier (tech advantage).
  3. BMW/Stellantis: Strong EV portfolios (BMW’s Neue Klasse, Stellantis’ 30+ EV models).

So this was the full stocks analysis of Europe’s Automotive Industry & most of the companies stocks. You can decide by yourself by reading Piotroski F Score & other Fundamentals.

Happy Investing

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *