Preliminary sales data indicates that good times for major auto manufacturers--with a few exceptions--returned in April as analysts forecast a 5% sales increase for the overall industry over the past month.

February was nice for big auto makers because it included an extra day--thanks to leap year, some pent up demand due to bad weather in January, and lots of President's Day sales led to great numbers for many.

We continue to find more good news for auto manufacturers--with a few notable exceptions. Overall, it appears as if November hit some great numbers for most of the big automakers.

In the midst of the tough times for the markets, we get yet another reminder that while the Chinese turmoil may be sending shock waves around the globe, the underlying US economy continues to show strength and improvement.