Fiat May Make Chrysler Revival a Priority

Fiat, the Italian carmaker that helped Chrysler emerge from bankruptcy, may wait to turn around the U.S. business before deciding on a share sale or spin-off for its automotive division, Bloomberg News reported. The Italian company's stock has risen 21 percent this month on speculation that CEO Sergio Marchionne may carve out Fiat's biggest unit as a new company. Fiat executives have so far sent mixed signals about whether an initial public offering of the division will take place. A separation of the auto manufacturing operations, which generated 56 percent of Fiat's revenue last year, would give Marchionne an entity to facilitate future alliances, and a share sale would generate cash for international expansion. The maker of Puntos and Ferraris must show progress at Chrysler, of which it owns 20 percent, before convincing investors to buy shares in the unit, said Royal Bank of Scotland analyst Jose Asumendi. "Fiat has too much on its hands right now to think about a possible spin-off," said London-based Asumendi, who advises holding Fiat's stock. "The priority is to resurrect Chrysler, make it profitable and repay its government loans."