Car sales up from last month, but down from last March

YOUNGSTOWN

One fewer selling day this March will have an obvious impact on auto sales.

But seasonally-adjusted data show an expected year-over-year increase for March 2015 over March 2014, analysts say.

Automakers are expected to release March sales data today.

Edmunds analysts predict a seasonally adjusted annual rate [SAAR] of sales at 16.9 million new units for March 2015 compared with its rate of 16.4 million in March 2014. SAAR is a 12-month running estimate that takes out seasonal factors to show the current health of the automotive market.

“I think that is really telling the health of the industry,” said Jeremy Acevedo, Edmunds analyst. “The industry has very strong momentum.”

Analysts for Edmunds expect to see 1.52 million new cars and trucks sold in the U.S. in March, which would be a 21.3 percent increase from February 2015 but a 0.8 percent decrease from March 2014.

That month was strong because of pent-up demand.

Read more about the ratings in Wednesday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.