Mercedes-Benz Heads to Paris With a Sold-Out EV Lineup — and a Share Price 2.1% Off Its Yearly Low
Published on 10/12/2026 at 06:10 | Editorial boerse-global.de
Mercedes-Benz opens its Paris Motor Show stand on Monday with an unusually full plate: a product offensive in the spotlight, a labour dispute simmering back in Stuttgart, and an equity story that has yet to convince the market.
The Stuttgart carmaker is using the French industry gathering, which runs through 18 October, to unveil a clutch of new models — fresh generations of the GLA and GLE, the fully electric VLE, plus AMG versions of the CLA 45 and the GT 4-door coupé. A press conference is scheduled for Monday afternoon. For a company that must plant its flag at international auto shows to stay visible in a crowded field, the timing matters.
Electric order books stretch deep into 2027
The product push builds on momentum already visible in the sales data. In its third-quarter disclosure, Mercedes reported 491,700 passenger cars and vans delivered worldwide. Battery-electric passenger vehicles accounted for 68,400 units, a 61% jump year on year.
Demand for the electric CLA, GLC, GLB and GLA has been strong enough in Europe that those models are sold out there for the remainder of 2026, with orders stretching well into 2027. On the technology side, the group recently opened orders worldwide for steer-by-wire steering in the EQS sedan across all relevant sales markets.
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China slump casts a long shadow
Those gains sit alongside a far less comfortable picture. Roughly a week ago the company reported an 8% decline in passenger-car sales for the quarter, with China — its most important single market — down 31%, according to Reuters. Group-wide EV deliveries rose 52% over the same period, but that increase only partly cushions the Asian shortfall. In China, Mercedes faces increasingly aggressive competition and cautious consumer sentiment, a combination that weighs on volumes of high-priced models and on the profitability of the entire car division.
The pressure has spilled into the factory halls. On Friday, works council chief Ergun LĂĽmali came out firmly against any debate over plant closures, urging management to concentrate on innovation, future-proof products and viable market strategies rather than pushing discussions about job cuts. His intervention highlights how much unease the prospect of restructuring has stirred among the workforce.
Analysts trim targets as margins come under scrutiny
Equity analysts have been marking down their expectations ahead of the detailed quarterly figures. RBC's Tom Narayan reaffirmed a "Sector Perform" rating on 8 October with a price target of EUR 54, noting that the operating margin in the car business for the third quarter is likely to land below the 3% to 5% range the company has targeted for the full year.
A day later, UBS cut its target from EUR 50 to EUR 45 while keeping a "Neutral" stance, citing mounting pressure from Chinese rivals and sector-wide risks of weaker quarterly results. Citi also lowered its target, to EUR 42, pointing to rising margin pressure and operational risks in the second half of 2026.
Buybacks continue as the stock hugs its low
Management is leaning on capital measures to support the share price. Under its ongoing buyback programme, Mercedes repurchased a further 875,000 of its own shares between 28 September and 2 October.
The stock closed Friday at EUR 39.73, up 1.3% on the day — but down 34% since the start of the year and just 2.1% above its 52-week low of EUR 38.90. Investors will get the hard numbers on 28 October 2026, when Mercedes publishes its full third-quarter interim report and holds the accompanying analyst call, where management is likely to face questions on cost-cutting plans and plant utilisation.
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