General Motors Near 52-Week High: What's Driving This Legacy Automaker's Comeback

General Motors is trading close to its 52-week peak, with shares at $81.76—merely 1.5% shy of the annual top. This near 52 week high stocks performance reflects a remarkable 70% surge over the past half-year, substantially outpacing the broader auto sector. To put this in perspective, peer Ford advanced roughly 30% during the same window, while EV leader Tesla climbed 52%.

The rally stems from multiple catalysts working in GM’s favor: impressive financial results, substantial share repurchases, operational improvements in China, and market enthusiasm around its evolving vehicle portfolio. What’s particularly noteworthy is that General Motors has cemented its role as the second-largest EV vendor in the domestic market, moving 144,668 electric units in the opening nine months of 2025—a stunning 105% jump year-over-year.

Valuation Still Looks Attractive

Despite its impressive ascent, GM stock trades at just 7X forward earnings—a meaningful discount compared to Ford’s 9.73X and Tesla’s 265.57X multiples. This valuation disconnect presents an opportunity, especially given the company’s A-rated Value Score. Adding to the bull case: GM has beaten EPS expectations for 13 consecutive quarters, and consensus estimates for 2026 project a 13% increase from 2025 levels, with analyst sentiment improving over the last 60 days.

Four Pillars Supporting Long-Term Growth

Dominant U.S. Market Position

General Motors maintains its rank as America’s top automaker with 17% market share in Q3 2025, up 50 basis points annually. Chevrolet, Buick, GMC, and Cadillac brands continue driving volume through popular SUV and pickup offerings. The company plans to bolster domestic capacity through onshoring while keeping traditional combustion engine volumes stable. Upcoming milestones include the next-generation Cadillac CT5, refreshed XT5, and the Orion Assembly facility’s early 2027 restart—producing Cadillac Escalade and full-size trucks.

China Turnaround Gaining Traction

GM’s Chinese operations show unmistakable momentum after comprehensive restructuring—rightsizing dealer networks, optimizing costs, and launching products aligned with local demand. Q3 results delivered a 10% year-over-year sales increase, marking consecutive quarterly gains. Market share expanded 30 basis points to 6.8%, while equity income hit $80 million for the fourth straight quarter. Management anticipates achieving profitability in China for the full year.

Software & Services Emerging as Growth Engine

The software ecosystem represents GM’s fastest-expanding revenue stream. Super Cruise, OnStar, and complementary digital offerings generated approximately $2 billion in revenue in 2025. Deferred revenues reached $5 billion by Q3’s close—surging over 90% year-over-year. OnStar’s global subscriber base expanded 34% to surpass 11 million, projected to exceed 12 million by year-end. Super Cruise now counts more than 500,000 active subscribers, with revenue forecasted to exceed $200 million in 2025.

Financial Strength & Capital Allocation

General Motors closed Q3 2025 with $35.7 billion in automotive liquidity, including $21.8 billion in cash and equivalents. This fortress balance sheet enables aggressive shareholder returns. The company increased its dividend by 25% in 2025 after resuming payments post-pandemic. More impressively, GM repurchased over $3.5 billion in shares year-to-date through Q3 (including $1.5 billion in the third quarter alone), reducing share count to 954 million—down 15% annually. The company maintains $2.8 billion in remaining buyback authorization.

The Bottom Line

General Motors near 52 week high stocks valuations may seem stretched, but the fundamentals tell a different story. Accelerating earnings momentum, expanding domestic market dominance, China’s inflection toward profitability, and soaring software revenues create a multi-dimensional growth narrative. Add attractive valuation, robust cash generation, and shareholder-friendly capital deployment, and GM presents a balanced risk-reward equation for long-term equity holders. The stock carries a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) designation reflecting analyst conviction in its prospects.