
๐๐ธ Ally Financial (ALLY): Driving Through Uncertainty with Buffett in the Backseat
ALLY ($32.06, +2.07%) may not be the sexiest ticker on the strip, but this Detroit-based digital finance machine has more gears turning than a NASCAR pit crew. Once known as GMAC, Ally Financial now hustles everything from auto loans to digital banking to commercial real estate to insurance for your grandmaโs Buick (okay, maybe your Tesla too).
And guess whoโs been backing the car up? ๐ Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway owns nearly 10% of the company. BlackRock, Vanguard, Harris Associates โ the usual Wall Street suspects โ are all in. And the CEO and CFO themselves have been buying. Thatโs not just noise. Thatโs commitment. ๐ผ๐ฐ
๐ฅ Insider Moves (a.k.a. Skin in the Game):
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CFO Russell Hutchinson bought shares at $30.81 just yesterday ๐งพ (+8,200 shares, +$250K)
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CEO Michael Rhodes dropped a cool $1 million in January at $39.09 ๐ผ๐ธ
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Insider ownership may not scream โmeme stock,โ but it whispers confidence ๐
๐ Allyโs Q1 2025 Results: A Tale of Two Ledgers
Letโs get to the good, the bad, and theโฆ um, GAAP.
๐ข The Positives:
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$10.2B in auto originations from a record 3.8M applications ๐๐จ
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Retail auto yield: 9.80% ๐ค
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Insurance premiums: up 9% YoY to $385M ๐ก๏ธ
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64 straight quarters of deposit growth ๐
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$146B in retail deposits (92% FDIC insured = sleep-well factor ๐ด)
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Corporate Finance loans: all first-lien, floating-rate, and worth $10.9B ๐ผ๐
๐ด The Caution Lights:
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GAAP EPS: $(0.82) ๐ฌ
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Pre-tax loss: $(284M)
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Return on equity (ROE): -8.6%
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Capital ratio (TCE): 5.6%, down from historical 7%+
Yes, thereโs solid operational momentum... and also a financial bruise or two.
๐ Fitch to the Rescue (Sorta): The Ratings Breakdown ๐ง
Fitch says: โBBB- with a Stable Outlook.โ Translation? Not bad. Not great. Might survive a storm, might hydroplane in a hard turn.
๐ Whatโs Holding the Fort:
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Market leader in U.S. auto finance ๐
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Sufficient liquidity, diversified funding ๐ฆ
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Risk management improvements since exiting side hustles like credit cards ๐๐ณ
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$6.1B cash on hand and 92% insured deposits ๐ฎ๐จ
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$12B+ Fed backstop capacity in case things get sketchy ๐ฆ
๐ But Risks Remain:
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Heavily concentrated in auto loans, which are cyclical ๐โ ๏ธ
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Charge-offs are rising (1.48% vs. 1.36% in 2023) ๐งพ
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Profitability under pressure post-2021 glory days ๐ข
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Interest rate volatility still haunts the balance sheet ๐ป
๐ง Funanc1alโs Take: Smart Money Likes It โ But It's No Slam Dunk
This is no meme rocket. Itโs a Buffett bet in a mature, rate-sensitive biz with real credit risks. That 3.8% dividend? ๐ฌ Sweet. But not cavity-inducing. Thereโs a bullish case here if you zoom out โ but make no mistake, ALLY still has a lot to prove.
So...
Weโre not saying back up the truck... but maybe keep the engine running. ๐๐
โDisclaimer (a.k.a. Seatbelt Time):
We're not financial advisors, but we have crashed a few financial go-karts. ๐๏ธ๐ฅ
Proceed with curiosity and caution. ๐ค๐
And hey, even Warrenโs wrong sometimes. (But when heโs right... oh boy. ๐ธ๐)
Invest responsibly. Or donโt. You do you. ๐โ๏ธ
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