Bayerische Motoren Werke : Western European car registrations down on fewer selling days - LMC

BERLIN (Reuters) - Western European car registrations fell 5.2 percent in December which had two fewer selling days than a year earlier, leading four of the region's five main markets including Germany and France into the red, data compiled by LMC Automotive showed.

Registrations declined to 1.03 million passenger cars from 1.09 million a year earlier, the consulting firm said on Friday. Its numbers are based on a combination of published national data and estimates for some smaller markets that have yet to report.

The seasonally adjusted annualised rate (SAAR) of Western European sales slipped 1.9 percent from November levels to 14.29 million cars, according to LMC.

Sales slumped 14.4 percent in Britain and were down 3.2 percent in Italy, 1 percent in Germany and 0.5 percent in France while Spain posted a 6.2 percent gain, LMC said.

"The selling-day effect meant most markets in the region were down year-on-year, though Spain was notable in bucking this trend," LMC analyst Jonathon Poskitt said.

(Reporting by Andreas Cremer; Editing by Douglas Busvine)

Stocks treated in this article : Peugeot, Renault, Bayerische Motoren Werke, Daimler, Volkswagen