companies that will benefit from the big three going under

If GM, Ford, and Chrysler go under, surely someone stands to benefit... any suggestions for companies whose business will improve with the big three out of the picture?

 

Ford is nowhere close to going under. They just went along to Washington for the moral support.

 

Who is going to be paying unemployment for all of these workers?

 

I don't think that they will become unemployed. The workers can get hired by the auto companies that assume GM and Chrysler's market share.

 

The banks. If the big three go under it will trigger default thresholds in some CDS and will mean hundreds of billions of not trillions for the banks collectively. I think this is in part why there has been so much resistence to the measely $15B that they automakers are asking for and why Dodd is trying so hard (his CT hedge fund buddies are likely the ones on the hook for much of the potential losses). Whenevr Dodd does ANYTHING you know it is because someone is asking him to.

 

This is more the direction I was hoping to take this thread - what companies will most likely assume their market share?

 

State governments or the UAW, whomever is on the hook for it.

 

Likely the ones that buy their assets at the fire sale.

 

Of course Toyota and Nissan will take up the reduced market share -- no one else makes half-ton pickups like the big three. By reduced market share I mean if we let the big three go under, the U.S. economy will take such a big hit that the overall car and truck market will shrink.

Maybe the best stock play if the Big Three go under is CPB: Campbell's Soup. The recession will get so bad that soup lines will be a growth industry.