Honestly, if you’ve ever sat down to look at the GM historical share price, you’ve probably noticed something weird. Most charts just stop in 2009. They hit a wall. That’s because the "old" General Motors essentially died in bankruptcy court, leaving a trail of worthless paper for a lot of folks. The stock we trade today, under that familiar $GM$ ticker, is a different beast entirely. It’s the "New GM," born from a massive $2010$ IPO that felt like a national event.
Think about it. In November $2010$, GM came back to the New York Stock Exchange at $33$ a share. It was huge. The U.S. Treasury was still the biggest shareholder back then, which led to the "Government Motors" nickname that critics loved to toss around. But for investors, it was a fresh start. Since that day, the price hasn't exactly been a straight line to the moon. It’s been more like a bumpy Michigan backroad.
The Long Grind After the IPO
For years, GM stock felt stuck. If you bought in $2011$, you basically watched the price hover between $20$ and $40$ for what felt like an eternity. Management was paying out dividends, but the "Big Auto" stigma was real. Investors were obsessed with tech, and a company that made heavy trucks and gas-guzzling SUVs didn't feel like the future.
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Then things started to shift.
By the time $2017$ rolled around, the price started testing the low $40$s. There was this growing realization that GM wasn't just a legacy dinosaur. They were making actual money. They were buying back shares. But then, the $2020$ pandemic hit. Everything stopped. The share price tanked to around $16$ in March $2020$. It was a "blink and you'll miss it" bottom, because the recovery was aggressive.
Why the $2020$s Changed the Math
The post-pandemic world was a fever dream for auto stocks. Between the semiconductor shortage and the sudden craze for Electric Vehicles (EVs), GM found itself in the spotlight. Mary Barra, the CEO, started talking about a "world with zero crashes, zero emissions, and zero congestion." Wall Street ate it up.
In early $2022$, the stock hit what was then a record high, clearing $67$. Everyone was high on the idea that GM would beat Tesla at its own game. But reality check: building millions of cars is hard. Battery fires, software glitches, and the sheer cost of retooling factories started to weigh on the price. By $2023$, the stock was back in the $30$s.
It was a classic "show me" story. Investors wanted to see the profit, not just the prototypes.
The Wild Ride of $2025$ and $2026$
If you look at the GM historical share price over the last few months, you’ll see some of the most dramatic movement in the company's history. Just this past year, the landscape shifted again due to a massive "tariff war" and a cooling EV market.
In October $2025$, the stock did something nobody expected. It surged $15%$ in a single day. Why? Because the company raised its profit guidance even though it was facing billions in potential tariffs. CFO Paul Jacobson basically told the street that GM was "mitigating the risk" better than anyone else. They were reshoring production and leaning back into their cash-cow internal combustion engines while the EV market took a breather.
Then came January $2026$.
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The stock hit an all-time closing high of $85.13$ on January 8. It was a milestone. But just days later, the news cycle flipped. GM announced it was taking $7.6$ billion in charges related to its EV strategy. The market for battery-powered cars in the U.S. was weakening, and GM had to pay the price for "overcapacity."
Understanding the Dividend Factor
You can't talk about GM’s price without mentioning the dividend. It’s been a saga.
- The Suspension: In $2020$, when the world was ending, GM cut the dividend to save cash. Smart move, but it hurt income investors.
- The Return: They finally brought it back in late $2022$ at a modest $0.09$ per share.
- The Growth: By $2024$ and $2025$, they were hiking it again. In $2025$, the quarterly payout climbed to $0.15$.
Right now, as of early $2026$, the dividend yield is sitting around $0.72%$. That’s not huge, but it’s a sign of a company that isn't just surviving—it's returning cash to people. The payout ratio is actually quite low, around $17%$, which means they have plenty of room to keep paying even if the economy hits a rough patch.
What Really Drives the Price Today?
Forget the old metrics. The GM historical share price is currently a tug-of-war between two different companies.
One side is the "Legacy King." This is the part of GM that sells Silverados and Tahoes. It makes billions. This side of the business is why the stock is trading at a P/E ratio of about $16$—relatively cheap compared to the tech world but expensive for a traditional carmaker.
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The other side is the "EV Aspirant." This is the part that just took a multibillion-dollar write-down. When this side does well, the stock price gets a "tech multiple" boost. When it fails, the stock gets dragged back down to earth.
Recent volatility has been fueled by the 25% auto import tariffs that took effect in early $2025$. While GM has moved more production back to the U.S., they still have a massive footprint in Mexico and China. Any headline about trade deals or border taxes sends the stock swinging $3%$ to $5%$ in a single session.
Actionable Insights for the Savvy Observer
If you're tracking this stock, don't just look at the ticker. Watch the "SAAR" (Seasonally Adjusted Annual Rate). If car sales across the U.S. stay above 16 million units, GM usually has enough wind in its sails to keep the price floor solid.
Also, keep an eye on the "special charges." GM has a habit of "cleaning up the books" with massive write-downs. These look scary on paper—like the $7.6$ billion EV charge in January $2026$—but the market often cheers them because it means the company is being honest about its losses and moving on.
Your Next Steps:
- Check the 52-week range: As of mid-January $2026$, the high is $85.18$ and the low is $41.60$. Buying near the top of that range has historically been risky for GM investors.
- Watch the Inventory: If you see GM dealer lots getting crowded, the share price usually drops as analysts anticipate "incentives" (discounts) that eat into profits.
- Monitor the Fed: High interest rates are the enemy of car buyers. If rates start to drop later in $2026$, it could be the catalyst that pushes the stock past that $85$ resistance level.
GM isn't just a car company anymore; it's a giant, complex hedge fund on wheels. Its price reflects everything from global trade wars to the price of lithium. Treat it with the caution it deserves.