Nissan Motor suffered a steep sell-off on Tuesday, tumbling 6.25% to JPY 340.3 as of 2.08 p.m. (Bangkok time), after Mercedes Benz, its second-largest shareholder, began unwinding its entire stake in the Japanese automaker. The sharp drop made Nissan the worst performer on the Nikkei 225 index, which itself was down 1% on the session.
The sudden divestment—first announced as Mercedes transferred its 3.8% Nissan holding, worth around $346 million, to the group’s pension unit—was quickly followed by news that all shares had been sold for $324 million at JPY 341.3 per share, according to a Reuters report. Mercedes described the move as a portfolio clean-up, saying the holding was no longer strategic.
The sale comes at a precarious time for Nissan. New CEO Ivan Espinosa has launched a sweeping overhaul, targeting aggressive cost reductions and a pivot back to profitability after years of underperformance.
However, investor skepticism remains high following the collapse of a headline-making merger with Honda Motor earlier this year—a tie-up that promised to create the world’s second-largest carmaker.
So far in 2025, Nissan shares have slumped more than 28%, underscoring doubts about the company’s turnaround efforts. Recent quarterly losses, compounded by stiff U.S. tariffs on auto imports, have only added to pressure on management and battered confidence among investors.
