GM v Honda In FY 2010, General Motors earned revenue of $135 billion and earned profit of $6.17 billion on this. The 2010 FY figures are distorted because of the impact of the government bailout, but in prior years GM was losing over $30 billion per year, despite recording higher sales ($177 billion in 2007 and $147 billion in 2008). Sales hit their nadir in 2009 with just $104 billion, so part of the company's success in 2010 was that sales began to rebound. Sales thus far in fiscal 2011 are higher again, with the company on pace for around $149 billion. Net income is also stronger, the company having recorded almost $8.5 billion in net income in the first three quarters of fiscal 2011.

Honda's revenue and profit figures show a similar trend, where the company had stronger profits in 2007 and 2008, only to slump in 2009 and 2010. The company's fiscal 2011 showed a slight increase. It is worth noting that while GM's fiscal year end is Dec 31,...

This is why Honda's revenues bottomed out in FY 2010 while GM's bottomed out in FY 2009. Honda's net income, however, has been consistently stronger than that of GM. The company has earned a profit in each of its last five fiscal years. The struggles of GM pre-bailout were a result of pension expenses, and it was bailout-era pension restructuring that allows GM to turn a profit now, compared with steep losses before the bailout. The company still has some pension obligations (Shepardson, 2012).
GM today has a relatively healthy balance sheet, with a current ratio of 1.12 and a debt/equity ratio of 2.83. The bulk of the liabilities are classed as "other," totaling $43.4 billion. These are the remaining pension liabilities that GM is considering buying out. The company has $26 billion in cash. Honda's balance sheet is stronger, with a current ratio of 1.31 and a debt/equity ratio of…