Auto supplier Forvia to cut thousands of jobs in Europe

By Nathan Vifflin

(Reuters) -French automotive supplier Forvia plans to cut up to 10,000 jobs in Europe over the next five years, in part through attrition, it said on Monday, becoming the latest auto industry player to react to falling demand and China's dominance.

Shares in the world's seventh-largest automotive supplier, which makes parts for companies including Stellantis, Volkswagen and Ford, and also sells in China, rose by more than 5% before reversing course to close down 12.7%, their worst one-day performance since late September 2022.

In a call, management's downbeat statements about the European automotive sector outweighed earlier positive signals about a plan to boost profitability in Europe, said analyst Adrien Brasey from Alphavalue.

"Forvia faces concerns from investors due to its strong exposure to a declining European market, accounting for 46% of its total revenue, along with mentions of manufacturing overcapacity in Europe and a changing client base as Chinese EV makers expand in Europe," he added.

Another analyst who asked not to be named said the magnitude of the restructuring and the comment about overcapacity in Europe had unnerved investors.

As carmakers cut production in Europe, leaving suppliers with excess capacity, shares slipped across the sector.

Shares in French car parts maker Valeo and German supplier Continental, which said last week it would reduce staffing, closed down 6.9% and 3.9% respectively.

Paris-listed Forvia said it planned to cut 13% of its European workforce, much of it through attrition.

"Our attrition rate is 2,000 to 2,500 people a year. So, in fact, the plan does not mean making 10,000 people redundant," Chief Financial Officer Olivier Durand told reporters, adding it would limit recruitment to posts deemed strictly necessary.

In the quest to meet demand for affordable electric vehicles, European carmakers face stiff Chinese competition.

Forvia's operating profit in Europe, Africa and the Middle East was 316 million euros ($341 million) in 2023, less than half of that for Asia at 815 million euros. This was despite the region comprising 46% of its sales, compared to 27% in Asia, 21% of which are in China.

Forvia aims to return to its pre-pandemic operating margin of 7% in Europe, compared to 2.5% last year, supported by annual savings of 500 million euros ($539 million) from 2028.

It said Asia reported an operating margin of 11% for last year, with a double-digit margin in China, and forecast 2024 sales of 27.5-28.5 billion euros, versus 27.25 billion in 2023.

($1 = 0.9276 euros)

(Reporting by Nathan Vifflin; additional reporting by Lucy Raitano, Diana Mandiá, and Olivier Sorgho; Editing by Alexander Smith, Barbara Lewis and Mark Potter)