General Motors Plunges 3.6% Amid EV Sector Turbulence: What’s Fueling the Selloff?

Summary
• General Motors (GM) trades at $82.05, down 3.62% intraday amid sector-wide jitters.
• Ford Motor (F) lags as sector leader with a -1.35% decline, signaling automotive sector fragility.
• Options frenzy: 4131 contracts traded for GM20260116C87, reflecting bearish positioning.

General Motors’ sharp intraday drop has drawn attention as the stock trades near its 52-week low of $41.60. With the automotive sector grappling with EV production delays, tariff uncertainties, and shifting consumer preferences, investors are recalibrating positions. The stock’s 3.62% decline—its lowest since 2023—has triggered a surge in options activity, particularly in out-of-the-money puts and calls, as traders hedge against further volatility.

EV Sector Volatility and Strategic Shifts Weigh on GM
The selloff in GM stems from broader automotive sector headwinds, including Ford’s $19.5 billion EV pivot and the EU’s reversal of its 2035 gas car ban. These developments have intensified skepticism about the profitability of EV programs, particularly for legacy automakers like GM. Additionally, recent news of Ford’s Louisville plant shutting down for EV retooling and Rivian’s autonomy tech delays has amplified sector-wide caution. GM’s own challenges—such as its decision to drop Apple CarPlay—have further muddied its digital transformation narrative, triggering profit-taking and short-term bearish bets.

Automotive Sector Under Pressure as Ford Trails with -1.35% Drop
While GM’s -3.62% decline is steeper than Ford’s -1.35%, both stocks reflect the sector’s struggle to balance traditional ICE (internal combustion engine) profits with EV investments. Ford’s recent pivot to a $30,000 Universal EV Platform and Rivian’s autonomy trials highlight the sector’s fragmented strategy. However, GM’s larger exposure to legacy segments and its recent software overhauls have made it more vulnerable to investor sentiment shifts. The sector’s 52-week low of $41.60 for GM underscores the long-term risks of delayed EV adoption.

Options and ETF Strategies for Navigating GM’s Volatility
• MACD: 2.27 (bullish divergence), Signal Line: 2.59 (bearish crossover), Histogram: -0.31 (bearish momentum)
• RSI: 69.54 (overbought), Bollinger Bands: $84.35 (upper), $82.10 (middle), $79.85 (lower)
• 200D MA: $58.38 (far below current price), 30D MA: $79.55 (near-term support)

GM’s technicals suggest a bearish near-term bias, with RSI overbought and MACD diverging. The stock is testing its 200D MA as a critical support level. For options, two contracts stand out:

• GM20260116C82 (Call): Strike $82, Expiry 1/16, IV 28.53%, Delta 0.5368, Theta -0.2715, Gamma 0.1144, Turnover 239,758
- IV: Moderate volatility, Delta: Sensitive to price moves, Theta: High time decay, Gamma: Strong sensitivity to price swings. This call is ideal for a short-term bullish rebound if GM breaks above $82.50.

• GM20260116C82.5 (Call): Strike $82.5, Expiry 1/16, IV 28.44%, Delta 0.4794, Theta -0.2521, Gamma 0.1151, Turnover 135,238
- IV: Similar to 82-strike, Delta: Balanced sensitivity, Theta: High decay, Gamma: Strong reactivity. This contract offers a leveraged play if GM rebounds toward its 52-week high of $85.18.

Payoff Estimation: A 5% downside to $78.00 would yield a 12.5% return on the 82.5-strike call. Aggressive bulls may consider GM20260116C82 into a bounce above $82.50.

Backtest general motors Stock Performance
General Motors (GM) has experienced a total of 461 intraday plunges of at least -4% since 2022. While the 3-day win rate is 52.28%, the 10-day win rate is 54.23%, and the 30-day win rate is 55.10%, indicating a higher probability of positive returns in the short term, the maximum return during the backtest period was only 4.36%, with a maximum return day at 59. This suggests that while GM has a good chance of bouncing back after a significant drop, the overall returns following such events are generally modest.

Act Now: GM’s Volatility Demands Tactical Positioning
General Motors’ 3.62% intraday drop reflects the sector’s struggle to balance EV ambitions with profitability. While the stock remains above its 200D MA, the 82.00–82.50 range is critical for near-term direction. Investors should monitor Ford’s -1.35% decline as a sector barometer and watch for a breakdown below $81.00, which could trigger further bearish momentum. For tactical positioning, short-dated calls like GM20260116C82.5 offer leveraged exposure to a potential rebound, while puts like GM20260116P77.5 provide downside protection. Watch for $81.00 support and consider short-dated puts for a bearish hedge.