Shares of Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. (TYO:7201) tumbled on Tuesday after its second-largest shareholder, Mercedes Benz Group (ETR:MBGn), announced plans to sell its stake in the struggling Japanese automaker.
Nissan’s stock dropped as much as 6.5% to 338.5 yen, making it the worst performer on the Nikkei 225, which slipped 1%.
Mercedes said it will begin offloading its roughly $346 million (3.8%) stake in Nissan this week. The German automaker previously shifted the holding to its pension unit and stressed that the stake was not strategic. The sale, Mercedes added, was part of a broader portfolio clean-up.
According to Reuters, Mercedes sold the shares at 341.3 yen each, raising about $324 million.
The sale coincides with Nissan’s sweeping turnaround plan under new CEO Ivan Espinosa, which includes cutting spending, reducing production capacity, and prioritizing profitability. The company’s challenges were compounded after a potential merger with Honda Motor collapsed earlier in 2025, derailing efforts to form the world’s second-largest automaker.
So far in 2025, Nissan shares have lost more than 28%, reflecting weak investor confidence. The automaker also reported a significant loss in the June quarter, as steep U.S. trade tariffs on auto imports added further pressure.
