GM Jumps Ahead of Rivals to Report Sales Earlier

General Motors Co. moves up the timing of its monthly U.S. sales report, saying the change reflects its shrunken business and the growing momentum of its restructuring.

Beginning Tuesday, the auto maker will release its sales details at 9:45 a.m. (EST), or four hours sooner than it has in the past, making it first among the Big Six to go public with its results.

“It is a change we’ve been planning for a while,” says GM spokesman Tom Henderson. “We can pull the data together much more quickly now with four brands instead of eight.”

Henderson also says advancing the report moves GM sales earlier in the news day, giving the auto maker a chance to grab headlines ahead of rivals reporting later.

“We’ve got some good stories to tell,” Henderson says.

After roasting under public scrutiny for months over its taxpayer-funded bankruptcy and restructuring, GM has witnessed a recent swell of positive news driven by a modest increase in sales and plans to add jobs at manufacturing sites crippled by the recession.

Analysts expect a slight improvement in overall sales for February, with inclement weather and recall woes at Toyota Motors Sales U.S.A. Inc. weighing on the results.