ALV vs GM: How Autoliv and General Motors Company Compare (2026)

Same yardstick, side by side (as of July 2026). Valuation lined up like this is most meaningful for two names in the same corner of the market, which these are. Figures are approximate; verify before investing.

Reading it: GM is the cheaper of the two on forward earnings, but cheaper is not the same as better. Pair the valuation with growth (how far the forward P/E sits below the trailing P/E) and risk (beta) before you decide.

The metrics above tell you which is the marginally better business. The bigger risk for most people is not picking the slightly worse stock, it is over-concentrating. ALV and GM share themes, so owning both, or adding either to what you already hold, can quietly push a large share of your portfolio into one bet.

This is the part a generic comparison page cannot answer, because it depends on what you own. Connect your brokerage and Walnut shows your real, combined ALV and GM exposure, flags overlap with your existing positions, and tells you if adding one would tip you past a concentration you are comfortable with, read-only by default, with your login staying at your broker. Walnut is not an investment adviser.

Autoliv, Inc. (NYSE: ALV) is the global leader in passive automotive safety, supplying airbags, seatbelts, steering wheels, and related components to essentially every major automaker. The company holds roughly a 44 to 45 percent share of the worldwide passive-safety market, well ahead of its nearest rivals, and generated about $10.8 billion in net sales in 2025. Its content sits inside cars regardless of powertrain, so it participates in electric, hybrid, and combustion vehicles alike, and demand is underpinned by rising safety regulation and the steady increase in safety content per vehicle.

Full ALV guide

General Motors Company is a Detroit-based global automaker that designs, manufactures, and sells trucks, crossovers, cars, and automobile parts under the Chevrolet, GMC, Buick, and Cadillac brands, and provides automotive financing through its GM Financial arm. The overwhelming majority of its profit comes from North America, where full-size pickup trucks (the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra) and a broad lineup of crossovers and SUVs command strong pricing and margins. GM also operates through equity joint ventures in China, holds a portfolio of electric vehicles built on its Ultium battery platform, and had been developing autonomous-driving technology through Cruise before folding that effort into a leaner in-house driver-assistance program.

Full GM guide

Both fit overlapping themes, but they are not interchangeable. The useful comparison is which set of drivers and risks you want exposure to.

• ALV drivers: Market leadership and safety content growth; Margin expansion and cost discipline.
• GM drivers: Truck and SUV profit engine plus capital return; EV rightsizing to cut losses.

A faster-growing, richer-valued name usually swings harder, so it suits a longer horizon and a higher tolerance for volatility; a steadier, more cash-generative business suits a more conservative or income-minded investor. The honest test is which set of risks you could hold through a drawdown: Autoliv's results are tightly linked to global light-vehicle production, which is cyclical and can fall sharply in a downturn. For GM, gM is deeply cyclical: new-vehicle demand, pricing, and margins can fall sharply in a recession or when interest rates raise the cost of auto loans.

Growth-minded investors who believe the theme has years to run tend to accept the richer multiple for more upside; value-minded investors lean toward the cheaper forward earnings and steadier profile. Pick ALV if you believe its drivers more; GM if you believe its. Many investors hold both, but since they share themes, that is a concentrated bet, not diversification. Decide deliberately and check overlap. For the full detail, see the ALV and GM guides.

ALV. Autoliv trades at a low double-digit earnings multiple typical of an auto supplier, reflecting its cyclicality despite its leading market position. FY2025 delivered record adjusted operating income of about $1.1 billion at roughly a 10.3 percent adjusted margin, and Q1 2026 sales grew about 6.8 percent to $2.75 billion on strength in Asia. Management reiterated full-year 2026 guidance for roughly flat organic sales and an adjusted operating margin near 10.5 to 11 percent.

GM. GM's trailing P/E of roughly 31x is misleading because 2025 GAAP net income of about $2.7 billion was suppressed by more than $7.2 billion of one-time EV realignment charges; on a forward basis against 2026 adjusted EPS guidance of about $11.50 to $13.50, the multiple compresses to roughly 6x, one of the lowest among large-cap US companies. That gap reflects a market that treats GM as a deeply cyclical, tariff-exposed automaker rather than a growth compounder. Heavy buybacks (a new $6.0 billion authorization) and a raised dividend show management returning capital while the shares trade at a low earnings multiple.

Headline figures (approximate, MAY 2026): ALV shows revenue (ttm) ~$11.0B, fy2025 net sales ~$10.8B, q1 2026 net sales ~$2.75B (up ~6.8% YoY), market cap ~$9.0B; GM shows revenue (fy 2025) ~$185 billion, net income (fy 2025) ~$2.7 billion (after ~$7.2 billion of special charges), ebit-adjusted (fy 2025) ~$12.7 billion, 2026 ebit-adjusted guidance ~$13.5 billion to $15.5 billion (~$11.50 to $13.50 adjusted EPS).

ALV and GM are related but distinct: same themes, different businesses and risks. Neither wins in the abstract; the right pick is whichever thesis you actually believe, sized so you are not over-concentrated in one theme. Walnut can show your combined ALV and GM exposure against your real portfolio. It is not an investment adviser.