Mercedes-Benz Readies Paris Showcase While Buyback and Cost Moves Run in Parallel

Mercedes-Benz will unveil new models in Paris while reactivating severance talks and buybacks; shares sit near a 52-week low ahead of its 28 October Q3 report.

Mercedes-Benz is lining up a busy October on two fronts. On the product side, the Stuttgart carmaker will use the Paris motor show, running from 12 to 18 October, to unveil a batch of new models: the new GLA, the Mercedes-AMG CLA 45, the new GLE, the Mercedes-AMG GT 4-door coupé and the fully electric VLE. The line-up spans combustion and performance variants as well as a battery-only people carrier, refreshing both established SUV ranges and the brand's electric offering.

At the same time, the company is pressing ahead with changes that have little to do with sheet metal. For indirect functions in Germany, the voluntary severance programme is being reactivated, with a start pencilled in for December under the principle of double voluntariness. According to media reports, management is also negotiating a new works agreement that would let executives order staff into the office for up to four days a week, making four days on site the new operational standard.

Shares Stay Close to Their Low

Investors have yet to be convinced by any of it. The stock closed Friday at EUR 39.90, hovering just above the 52-week low of EUR 39.70 it touched the same day. Since the start of the year the shares have shed 34%.

The company is also putting its own money to work. Between 21 and 25 September it bought back 895,000 of its own shares, extending a programme that had already been running for roughly a week — a stretch during which the price fell 3.8%. Ownership is shifting too: US asset manager BlackRock reported on 25 September that its voting rights had risen to 5.87%, plus a further 0.17% held through financial instruments, for a total position of 6.04%.

China Remains the Central Worry

Analysts continue to point to the same pressure point. Tim Rokossa of Deutsche Bank Research kept his "Buy" rating on 29 September but trimmed his price target to EUR 70 from EUR 73, calling developments in the Chinese market the single largest structural challenge facing the company. In his view, the upcoming third-quarter reporting season is unlikely to shift that narrative in any fundamental way.

Metzler Capital Markets took a more cautious line, initiating coverage of Mercedes-Benz Group on 22 September with a "Hold" rating and a EUR 47 target. The broker cited the group's heavy exposure to China, arguing that this market positioning leaves meaningful downside risk for the Stuttgart firm's margins.

Buyback, Boardroom and a Date With Analysts

The next hard data point arrives at the end of the month. Mercedes-Benz Group AG will publish its interim report for the third quarter of 2026 on 28 October 2026, hosting an analyst conference the same day. Until then, the picture is one of a manufacturer refreshing its range in Paris while managing costs, buybacks and a share price that has spent the year heading in the wrong direction.