Honda and Nissan’s planned merger, set for 2026, is risky due to potential integration issues. Read why I think investors should avoid or sell both companies' shares.

Honda has announced an agreement to merge with Nissan in a deal worth a reported $54 billion. Mitsubishi, which has long been allied with Nissan, will decide by the end of January 2025 whether to join the venture, potentially increasing the total merger value to $58 billion.

Good morning! It’s Thursday, January 9, 2025, and this is The Morning Shift, your daily roundup of the top automotive headlines from around the world, in one place. Here are the important stories you need to know.

Nissan and Honda have collaborated on various projects over the years, mainly to share development costs and increase economies of scale in low-volume vehicle segments, including mini-vehicles and commercial vehicles. More recently they extended their collaboration to include the development of hybrid and autonomous driving technologies.

With their merger seeming increasingly inevitable, Honda and Nissan are considering more than just the benefits of cost savings on future electric products. With Trump returning to office and some import manufacturers feeling pressure to adjust their production strategies,

A Honda exec has suggested the company is eyeing its own version of the Nissan Armada. The SUV would dwarf the Pilot and compete with Tahoe, Sequoia, and other big players. Future plans suggest Honda and Nissan may co-develop full-size SUVs for shared markets.

A Honda executive suggested the two companies could co-develop future full-size vehicles or that Honda could utilize existing full-size Nissans for its lineup.