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GM (GM) reported second quarter results before the bell on Tuesday that topped expectations, with the Big Three stalwart continuing to grow profits despite fewer sales.ย 

And for a second time this year, GM raised its guidance. For the full year, GM now expects:

Adjusted EBIT of $14.0 billion-$16.0 billion (prior $13.5 billion-$15.5 billion)

Adjusted EPS of $12.00-$14.00 (prior $11.50-$13.50)

Adjusted automotive free cash flow of $9.5 billion-$11.5 billion (prior $9 billion-$11 billion)

GM stock climbed over 3% in midday trade.

GM reported Q2 revenue of $48.03 vs. $46.61 billion, per Bloomberg consensus, up 1.9% from the $47.1 billion the automaker posted a year ago. GM posted adjusted earnings per share (EPS) of $3.57 vs. $3.19 estimated and adjusted EBIT of $3.94 billion compared to $3.7 billion expected.ย 

GM said its updated guidance made key assumptions, including pricing up around 0.5%, EV losses improving by $1 billion to 1.5 billion, regulatory benefits of $500 million to $700 million, gross tariff costs of $2.5 billion to $3.5 billion, and commodity inflation (including DRAM) of $1.5 billion to $2 billion, among others.

GM CFO Paul Jacobson said on the earnings call that tariff costs in Q2 were around $900 million, and the company expects similar exposure in Q3 and Q4.

For comparison, GM's adjusted EBIT in Q2 last year came in at $3 billion โ€” a figure heavily weighed down by tariff costs that are now easing as tariff offsets take hold.

"Customer demand in North America remains strong, driven by our very attractive lineup of pickups and SUVs," CEO Mary Barra added in her letter to shareholders. "Our 8.6% EBIT-adjusted margin in North America was up 2.5 points from a year ago, and we continue to lower our warranty costs, reduce EV losses, and increase operating efficiency."

GM said incentives as a percentage of MSRP averaged 4.7% in Q2, below the industry average of 6.3%, with dealer inventory down 3% year over year, in the company's targeted range of 50 to 60 days.

In addition to government offsets that are reducing its tariff bill, GM has spent the past year reworking its supply chain, shifting production, and negotiating with suppliers to blunt the tariff hit.ย 

But while tariffs easing will help its bottom line, its vehicle sales have been slipping.

GM sold approximately 715,000 vehicles in the US in the second quarter, a 4.2% decline from a year ago, though it held its position as the country's top-selling automaker.ย 

The company said much of the drop was due to discontinued models like the Cadillac XT4 and XT6 and the Chevrolet Malibu, as well as a sharp electric vehicle pullback following the expiration of the federal EV tax credit, which pulled demand forward into late 2025.ย 

GM said it paid out $4.5 billion in EV-related charges through Q2, with total outlay including non-cash charges hitting $7.2 billion thus far this year.

Chevy Equinox EV sales fell 61.8%, the Blazer EV dropped 68.1%, and the GMC Hummer EV slid 56.8%. GM still gained EV market share, holding the No. 2 spot behind Tesla (TSLA) at an estimated 13.5% to 14%.

Jacobson said GM expects EV sales to rebound during the earnings conference call.

GM's trucks and big SUVs helped soften the blow. GMC Sierra sales rose 5% to 95,147, a record quarter for the pickup, with overall light-duty pickup sales up 4%.

"We expect [truck sales] to be flat for the year, but that's more to do with production and cutting over to the new truck platform that we have coming out at the end of this year and into 2027," Jacobson added in an interview with Yahoo Finance.

That being said, GM said it's on pace to lead the full-size pickup segment for a seventh consecutive year with a share near 42%. Crossovers also helped, with the Chevy Traverse up 19.5% and the Trailblazer up 28.4%.

Crucially for margins, GM said it did all of this without much discounting. Average transaction prices topped $52,400 in the quarter.

But vehicle affordability remains a problem in the US, with elevated rates and record-high transaction prices hitting buyers. Tighter inventories have already dented full-size SUV sales, with the Tahoe down 8.1% and the Suburban off 20.4%.ย 

Pras Subramanian is the lead auto reporter for Yahoo Finance. You can follow him on X and Instagram.

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