December auto sales could slip 7% over last year

Staff report

YOUNGSTOWN

December auto sales could decline up to 7 percent year over year, analysts predict.

Full-year sales are expected to be at least 17.1 million, for the fourth-largest sales total ever.

Manufacturers will release their December and total year sales Wednesday.

Edmunds analysts forecasted total December new auto sales to come in at 1.58 million, a 5.8 percent decrease from December 2016, which was a record month for the industry.

Meanwhile, Kelley Blue Book analysts are projecting total December sales of 1.57 million, a 7 percent year-over-year decline.

“December should be the biggest sales month of the year,” said Tim Fleming, analyst for Kelley Blue Book, in a statement. “It’s also important to remember that December 2016 was the strongest month in nearly 15 years, fueled by heavy incentives and year-end sales objectives.”

Read more about the numbers in Saturday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.