Honestly, the price of General Motors stock today is doing a bit of a tightrope walk. As of the market close on Friday, January 16, 2026, GM was sitting at $80.81. It’s a tiny dip from the previous day—we’re talking about 0.12%—but that number doesn't tell the whole story. If you’ve been tracking this stock since the start of the year, you know the vibe in Detroit has shifted from "EV or bust" to something way more pragmatic.
Investors are currently staring down a January 27 earnings report that feels like a massive fork in the road.
The $7 Billion Elephant in the Room
You can't talk about GM right now without mentioning the $7.1 billion charge they just flagged for the fourth quarter. It sounds scary. It is a lot of money. Basically, Mary Barra and her team decided to take a massive write-down on their EV assets and their messy joint venture in China.
Is the market panicking? Not really.
Kinda the opposite, actually. Wall Street seems relieved that GM is finally "clearing the decks." They're moving away from those overly ambitious 2030 targets and focusing on what actually pays the bills: massive, gas-chugging trucks and sleek SUVs.
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What’s Actually Driving the Price of General Motors Stock Today?
If you look at the 52-week range, GM has been on a wild ride, swinging from a low of $41.60 all the way up to $85.18. We're currently hugging the top of that range. Why? Because the "Capital Efficiency" era is officially here.
1. The Death of "EV at All Costs"
Last year was a reality check. Federal tax credits for EVs evaporated in September 2025, and high interest rates made those $60,000 electric trucks a hard sell for the average person. GM responded by pivoting Detroit-Hamtramck (Factory Zero) back to "multi-energy" production. They’re building what people actually want to buy, which happens to be hybrids and ICE (Internal Combustion Engine) vehicles.
2. Software is the New Chrome
Believe it or not, GM is becoming a software company. They’re pulling in about $2 billion in recurring revenue from things like OnStar and Super Cruise. By the end of last year, they had over 11 million subscribers. When a car company starts acting like a SaaS company, investors get very, very interested.
3. The Buyback Effect
GM has been aggressive—almost relentless—about buying back its own shares. When there are fewer shares on the market, the ones you hold become more valuable. It’s a classic move to prop up the stock price while the company navigates a transition.
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Why the Analysts Are Staying Bullish (Mostly)
Most of the big players on the street, like Tigress Financial and Zacks, are keeping a "Buy" or even "Strong Buy" rating on the stock. They see a company that just finished its fourth year as the top-selling automaker in the U.S., holding a 17.3% market share.
But there’s a catch.
There is always a catch. Jefferies recently bumped their target, but they’re still only at a "Hold" with a much lower price point. There's a real fear that while GM is winning the "old" game of selling trucks, they might be falling behind in the "new" game where Chinese EV makers are starting to dominate global markets.
The "Trump Factor" and Tariffs
We also have to talk about the political landscape. With the current trade environment in 2026, tariffs are a double-edged sword. On one hand, they protect GM from cheap imports. On the other hand, they make the parts GM needs to build cars way more expensive. It’s a messy balance that keeps the stock price volatile.
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Should You Care About the $80 Level?
Psychologically, $80 is a big deal for GM. We’ve seen it bounce off this level a few times this month. If it stays above $80 leading into the Jan 27 earnings call, it suggests the "bad news" of the $7 billion charge is already baked in. If it slides toward $75, it means people are worried about the 2026 guidance.
CFO Paul Jacobson has been pretty vocal about his optimism for 2026. He thinks the company can outperform its 2025 earnings. That’s a bold claim given that the industry expects overall vehicle sales to dip by about 2.4% this year.
The Real Risks Nobody Mentions
- The Underwater Loan Crisis: Almost 30% of trade-ins right now are "underwater," meaning people owe more on their old car than it’s worth. That makes it hard to sell new cars, even if GM has the best trucks on the lot.
- The Cruise Uncertainty: GM’s autonomous driving unit, Cruise, is still a bit of a money pit. They’ve had some wins lately, but the path to actual profit is still foggy.
- Labor Costs: The ripple effects of previous UAW contracts are still being felt in the margins.
Practical Steps for Watching GM This Week
If you're trying to figure out if the price of General Motors stock today is a deal or a trap, don't just look at the ticker. Watch the "Days’ Supply" of inventory at dealerships. If trucks start sitting on lots for more than 70 days, expect the stock to take a hit.
Also, keep an eye on the 10-year Treasury yield. Since most people finance their cars, GM’s stock price is secretly tied to how expensive it is to get a loan. If rates stay sticky, the "Buy" ratings might start to fade.
What to Do Next
- Mark January 27 on your calendar. This is the big Q4 and full-year earnings release. Look specifically for the "2026 Guidance" section—that will move the needle more than the past results.
- Monitor the "Software Revenue" line item. If that $2 billion number isn't growing, the "transformation" narrative starts to fall apart.
- Check the spread between GM and Ford. They often move in lockstep, but GM has been showing more resilience lately because of its cleaner balance sheet after these recent write-downs.
The bottom line? General Motors isn't just a car company anymore; it's a massive experiment in whether a 100-year-old giant can turn into a tech-forward, capital-efficient machine without losing its soul (or its shirt) in the process.