Stellantis Halts Buybacks, Approves $2.26B Dividend for Shareholders

Stellantis is hitting the brakes on its stock buyback program, but shareholders will still see a major payout. At the company’s Annual General Meeting in Amsterdam on Tuesday, investors gave the green light to a cash dividend of $0.77 per share—or €0.68—which adds up to a total payout of $2.26 billion (€2 billion), set to hit accounts on May 5.

Stellantis Chairman John Elkann didn’t sugarcoat the situation: “2024 was not a good year for Stellantis,” he said in his opening remarks. “The reasons for this were partly of our own making which made this even more disappointing.”

The company reported a net profit of $5.8 billion (€5.5 billion) in 2024. Sounds solid—until you realize that’s a 70% plunge compared to the previous year. The issues that dragged profits down stemmed mostly from Stellantis’ two largest markets: North America and Europe. Inventory challenges, pricing pressures, and shifting regulations were key players in the downturn.

Despite these setbacks, Stellantis says it’s worked through most of its inventory issues and is gearing up for several key vehicle launches. The company has also managed to firm up pricing on some of its Jeep® models—especially important given the segment’s recent struggles.

What’s looming now, though, are trade tariffs. Elkann flagged them as a serious concern, especially for an automaker that imports a significant amount of vehicles and parts into the U.S. “On top of the 25% tariff imposed on vehicles, we are impacted layer upon layer with additional compounding tariffs, including those on aluminum, steel and parts,” Elkann explained.

He did, however, strike a hopeful tone regarding recent comments made by President Donald Trump, who suggested he might consider temporary exemptions on certain auto tariffs. That kind of break could provide some much-needed relief—not just for Stellantis, but for all automakers dealing with global supply chains.

Elkann also pointed to European emissions rules as another hurdle, calling current regulations “overly rigid.” The company believes both American and European carmakers are at risk if policymakers don’t ease up. “That would be a tragedy,” he said. “Car manufacturing is a source of jobs, innovation and strong communities.”

He contrasted the U.S. and European regulatory environment with China’s, which he says is pushing forward on a completely different path. “This year, the Chinese automobiles market is set for the first time ever to be larger than the American and European markets combined,” Elkann added.

So while shareholders can look forward to a dividend next month, Stellantis is clearly signaling caution ahead. With tariffs, leadership changes, and global competition on the horizon, the company is tightening up—and waiting to see what comes next.