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American Axle & Manufacturing (AXL)
NYSE:AXL

American Axle (AXL) AI Stock Analysis

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American Axle

(NYSE:AXL)

Rating:66Neutral
Price Target:
$4.50
▲(4.90%Upside)
American Axle's overall score reflects strong financial management and strategic initiatives aimed at improving cash flow and reducing leverage. While technical indicators are moderately positive, the valuation suggests some caution due to a high P/E ratio. Earnings call insights show a mixed outlook, with notable strategic progress but also challenges in sales and profitability.
Positive Factors
Financial Performance
AXL posted adjusted FCF of $79.2mm in 4Q:24, which was up YoY from $4.5mm in 4Q:23.
Revenue Growth
The combined company is expected to generate ~$12bn in annual revenue with a ~14% Adj. EBITDA margin including synergies.
Strategic Expansion
Post acquisition, AXL would become the 6th largest supplier in North America by sales and one of the top 25 globally.
Negative Factors
Industry Risks
Uncertainty in the European auto industry, and limited upside potential on mix in NA (trucks) create risk.
Market Challenges
In the short term, the lack of positive catalysts, and weak LV production, especially on key programs may put pressure on the stock.
Market Sentiment
The deal announcement is likely an overhang to the stock.

American Axle (AXL) vs. SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY)

American Axle Business Overview & Revenue Model

Company DescriptionAmerican Axle & Manufacturing Holdings, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, designs, engineers, and manufactures driveline and metal forming technologies that supports electric, hybrid, and internal combustion vehicles in the United States, Mexico, South America, China, other Asian countries, and Europe. It operates through Driveline and Metal Forming segments. The Driveline segment offers front and rear axles, driveshafts, differential assemblies, clutch modules, balance shaft systems, disconnecting driveline technology, and electric and hybrid driveline products and systems for light trucks, sport utility vehicles, crossover vehicles, passenger cars, and commercial vehicles. The Metal Forming segment provides axle and transmission shafts, ring and pinion gears, differential gears and assemblies, and connecting rods and variable valve timing products for original equipment manufacturers and tier 1 automotive suppliers. American Axle & Manufacturing Holdings, Inc. has technology development agreement with Suzhou Inovance Automotive Ltd. and REE Automotive Ltd. American Axle & Manufacturing Holdings, Inc. was founded in 1994 and is headquartered in Detroit, Michigan.
How the Company Makes MoneyAmerican Axle generates revenue primarily through the sale of its driveline and metal forming products to major automotive manufacturers worldwide. Its key revenue streams include the production and sale of axles, driveshafts, and other driveline components, which are integral to vehicle performance and safety. The company also benefits from long-term supply agreements and partnerships with leading automotive OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers), ensuring a steady demand for its products. Additionally, AAM invests in research and development to innovate and adapt its product offerings to the growing market for electric and hybrid vehicles, which is a significant factor contributing to its earnings.

American Axle Earnings Call Summary

Earnings Call Date:May 02, 2025
(Q1-2025)
|
% Change Since: 12.89%|
Next Earnings Date:Aug 01, 2025
Earnings Call Sentiment Neutral
The earnings call presented a mixed outlook, with significant progress in strategic initiatives like joint venture exits and the upcoming Dowlais transaction, while facing challenges such as a decline in sales and profitability due to lower volumes and unfavorable market conditions.
Q1-2025 Updates
Positive Updates
Successful Exits from China Joint Ventures
AAM exited its Hefei AAM Automotive and Liuzhou AAM Automotive joint ventures in China, collecting approximately $30 million in cash.
Approval for Sale of AAM Commercial Vehicle Axle Business
Received approval from the Competition Commission of India to proceed with the sale to Bharat Forge Limited, expecting closure in Q2 2025.
Strong Adjusted EBITDA Margin Improvement
Sequential improvement of approximately 100 basis points in adjusted EBITDA margin, reaching 12.6% of sales.
Positive Free Cash Flow Guidance
Guidance for 2025 includes targeting adjusted free cash flow of $165 million to $215 million, despite a challenging environment.
Transformational Transaction Progress
The combination with Dowlais is on track, with expected $300 million in synergies and significant potential for shareholder value.
Negative Updates
Decline in Sales Year-over-Year
Sales for Q1 2025 were $1.41 billion, down from $1.61 billion in Q1 2024, primarily due to lower volumes in North America and unfavorable FX.
Lower Adjusted EBITDA
Adjusted EBITDA for Q1 2025 was $177.3 million, down from $205.6 million in Q1 2024, with a decremental margin related to sales volume of approximately 27%.
Challenges in North American Production
North American production was down approximately 5% year-over-year, impacting overall sales and profitability.
High Effective Tax Rate
AAM expects an adjusted effective tax rate of approximately 50% at the midpoint, due to valuation allowances and interest deduction limitations.
Company Guidance
During the American Axle & Manufacturing (AAM) first quarter 2025 earnings call, the company provided updated guidance reflecting both current performance and future expectations. AAM is targeting full-year sales between $5.65 billion and $5.95 billion, with adjusted EBITDA projected to range from $665 million to $745 million. The adjusted free cash flow is expected to be between $165 million and $215 million. These projections are based on an assumed North American production volume ranging from 14.0 million to 15.1 million units. Additionally, AAM discussed its strategic transaction with Dowlais, anticipated to generate approximately $300 million in synergies and significant cash flow to support deleveraging efforts. The company also emphasized its commitment to navigating tariff-related uncertainties and focusing on its core operations to maintain performance momentum.

American Axle Financial Statement Overview

Summary
American Axle's financials show moderate performance with challenges in revenue growth but strong cash flow management and balance sheet improvements. The income statement reflects stable operational efficiency despite revenue declines. The balance sheet shows reduced leverage risks, and cash flow statements highlight efficient cash conversion and robust free cash flow growth.
Income Statement
65
Positive
The income statement shows moderate performance with a gross profit margin of 11.69% and a net profit margin of 0.36% for TTM. Revenue growth has been slightly negative at -3.19% compared to the previous year, indicating some challenges in revenue generation. EBIT and EBITDA margins are stable, suggesting decent operational efficiency despite the revenue decline.
Balance Sheet
70
Positive
The balance sheet reflects a strong equity ratio of 11.60%, indicating a solid capital base. The debt-to-equity ratio has improved significantly, demonstrating effective deleveraging. However, the return on equity is fairly low at 3.62% for TTM, pointing to limited profitability relative to equity. Overall, the balance sheet is stable, with reduced leverage risks.
Cash Flow
78
Positive
Cash flow statements present a robust performance with a significant free cash flow growth rate of 7.37%. The operating cash flow to net income ratio is strong at 22.76, suggesting efficient cash conversion. The free cash flow to net income ratio is high, reflecting effective cash management and potential for reinvestment or debt reduction.
Breakdown
TTMDec 2024Dec 2023Dec 2022Dec 2021Dec 2020
Income StatementTotal Revenue
5.93B6.12B6.08B5.80B5.16B4.71B
Gross Profit
693.30M741.40M624.30M704.90M722.70M582.70M
EBIT
209.20M241.40M146.60M243.90M240.60M188.10M
EBITDA
566.20M721.00M664.40M732.90M839.20M109.70M
Net Income Common Stockholders
21.60M35.00M-33.60M64.30M5.90M-561.10M
Balance SheetCash, Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Investments
549.20M552.90M519.90M511.50M530.20M557.00M
Total Assets
5.14B5.06B5.36B5.47B5.64B5.92B
Total Debt
121.80M2.74B2.98B3.03B3.23B3.57B
Net Debt
-427.40M2.18B2.46B2.52B2.70B3.02B
Total Liabilities
4.54B4.50B4.75B4.84B5.18B5.54B
Stockholders Equity
596.30M562.80M604.90M627.30M457.80M370.50M
Cash FlowFree Cash Flow
219.40M204.30M201.50M277.50M357.20M239.00M
Operating Cash Flow
491.80M455.40M396.10M448.90M538.40M454.70M
Investing Cash Flow
-246.80M-254.80M-184.50M-243.00M-161.10M-218.40M
Financing Cash Flow
-162.50M-156.20M-205.50M-217.20M-401.40M-214.50M

American Axle Technical Analysis

Technical Analysis Sentiment
Negative
Last Price4.29
Price Trends
50DMA
3.97
Positive
100DMA
4.54
Negative
200DMA
5.36
Negative
Market Momentum
MACD
0.06
Positive
RSI
50.39
Neutral
STOCH
36.75
Neutral
Evaluating momentum and price trends is crucial in stock analysis to make informed investment decisions. For AXL, the sentiment is Negative. The current price of 4.29 is below the 20-day moving average (MA) of 4.44, above the 50-day MA of 3.97, and below the 200-day MA of 5.36, indicating a neutral trend. The MACD of 0.06 indicates Positive momentum. The RSI at 50.39 is Neutral, neither overbought nor oversold. The STOCH value of 36.75 is Neutral, not indicating any strong overbought or oversold conditions. Overall, these indicators collectively point to a Negative sentiment for AXL.

American Axle Risk Analysis

American Axle disclosed 42 risk factors in its most recent earnings report. American Axle reported the most risks in the “Finance & Corporate” category.
Finance & Corporate - Financial and accounting risks. Risks related to the execution of corporate activity and strategy
Latest Risks Added 3 New Risks
1.
Certain Dowlais agreements may contain change of control provisions which, if not waived, could have material adverse effects on the combined company. Q4, 2024
2.
Issuance of Company shares in connection with the Business Combination will reduce our existing stockholders' aggregate ownership and voting interest in the Company, will result in existing stockholders exercising less influence over management, and may adversely affect the market price of our shares. Q4, 2024
3.
We will incur a substantial amount of debt to complete the acquisition of Dowlais. Q4, 2024

American Axle Peers Comparison

Overall Rating
UnderperformOutperform
Sector (62)
Financial Indicators
Name
Overall Rating
Market Cap
P/E Ratio
ROE
Dividend Yield
Revenue Growth
EPS Growth
77
Outperform
$8.73B11.9950.15%1.00%3.86%16.02%
BWBWA
76
Outperform
$7.10B25.975.38%1.36%-8.22%-52.61%
AXAXL
66
Neutral
$509.06M24.433.40%-4.25%
66
Neutral
$4.81B12.5515.90%2.24%-1.66%-9.20%
64
Neutral
$1.35B805.10-14.33%-5.33%-292.58%
62
Neutral
$6.88B11.322.95%3.87%2.70%-24.57%
DADAN
61
Neutral
$2.52B-2.40%2.32%-7.00%-366.59%
* Consumer Cyclical Sector Average
Performance Comparison
Ticker
Company Name
Price
Change
% Change
AXL
American Axle
4.29
-3.21
-42.80%
ALSN
Allison Transmission Holdings
103.56
30.48
41.71%
BWA
BorgWarner
32.30
-1.56
-4.61%
DAN
Dana Incorporated
17.26
4.38
34.01%
GNTX
Gentex
21.41
-12.08
-36.07%
ADNT
Adient
16.02
-11.83
-42.48%

American Axle Corporate Events

Executive/Board ChangesShareholder MeetingsBusiness Operations and Strategy
American Axle Stockholders Approve Key Governance Proposals
Positive
May 2, 2025

On May 1, 2025, American Axle & Manufacturing Holdings, Inc. held its annual stockholders meeting where four key proposals were voted on. The stockholders approved the Amended and Restated 2018 Omnibus Incentive Plan, elected directors for three-year terms, endorsed executive officer compensation on an advisory basis, and ratified Deloitte & Touche LLP as the independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2025. These decisions reflect strategic moves to enhance governance and operational efficiency, potentially impacting the company’s future performance and stakeholder confidence.

Business Operations and StrategyFinancial Disclosures
American Axle Reports Q1 2025 Financial Results
Neutral
May 2, 2025

American Axle & Manufacturing Holdings, Inc. reported its financial results for the first quarter of 2025, highlighting a year-over-year increase in operating cash flow despite a decrease in sales to $1.41 billion from $1.61 billion in the same period of 2024. The company achieved a net income of $7.1 million and an adjusted EBITDA of $177.3 million, reflecting a focus on cost control and productivity amid a challenging geopolitical environment. AAM also updated its financial outlook for 2025, targeting sales between $5.65 billion and $5.95 billion and adjusted EBITDA between $665 million and $745 million, while continuing its strategic combination with Dowlais.

Glossary
OutperformA stock rated as "Outperform" is expected to perform better than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests that the stock is likely to deliver higher returns compared to the average returns of other stocks in the same sector or market index. Investors might consider this stock a good buying opportunity.
NeutralA stock rated as "Neutral" is expected to perform in line with the overall market or a specific benchmark. This rating indicates that the stock is neither particularly attractive nor unattractive for investment. Investors may consider holding onto the stock, as it is not expected to either significantly outperform or underperform the market.
UnderperformA stock rated as "Underperform" is expected to perform worse than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests that the stock may deliver lower returns compared to the average returns of other stocks in the same sector or market index. Investors might consider selling the stock or avoiding it as an investment.

Disclaimer

This AI Analyst Stock Report is automatically generated by our AI systems using advanced algorithms and publicly available financial, technical, and market data. While the information provided aims to be accurate and insightful, it is intended for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial advice. Any content created by an AI (Artificial Intelligence) system may contain inaccuracies and/or contain errors. Investing in stocks carries inherent risks, and past performance is not indicative of future results. This report does not account for your personal financial circumstances, objectives, or risk tolerance. Always conduct your own research or consult with a qualified financial advisor before making investment decisions. The analysis and recommendations provided are based on historical and current data and may not fully reflect future market conditions or unexpected developments. Neither the creators of this report nor its affiliated entities guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of the information presented. Use this report at your own discretion and risk.