International automotive markets continue to evolve with electrification, safety technology, and digital commerce reshaping the industry across global markets. Are you looking for non-US automotive companies with exposure to supply chain innovation and mobility solutions?
Sumitomo Electric Industries manufactures automotive wiring harnesses, optical fiber, and electronic components for global vehicle manufacturers across its extensive production network. Relais Group distributes and services automotive safety products, lighting, and workshop equipment to aftermarket customers across Nordic and European markets. Auto1 Group operates a digital used-car trading platform connecting dealers and consumers across multiple European markets through its technology-driven marketplace.
International automotive stocks offer exposure to supply chain manufacturing, aftermarket distribution, and digital automotive commerce serving diverse markets worldwide. For investors seeking non-US automotive exposure, these are among the best international automotive stocks for 2026.
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Before we dive into each company, let`s take a look at how your investment would have performed if you had invested in stocks mentioned in this article.
Now, let`s take a closer look at each of the companies:
Sumitomo Electric Industries (T:5802)
Sumitomo Electric Industries is a Japanese multinational manufacturing company headquartered in Osaka, producing automotive components, optical fibers, and electronic materials for global markets. Founded in 1897, the company grew from a wire and cable manufacturer into a diversified industrial group serving automotive, telecommunications, and electronics industries worldwide. Its market position reflects advanced materials expertise, long-standing customer relationships, and integrated manufacturing capabilities across multiple technology sectors and international markets.
The company operates through automotive, information and communications, industrial materials and services, and electronics business segments that serve diverse industrial and consumer applications globally. Sumitomo Electric develops and manufactures automotive wiring harnesses, optical fibers, semiconductors, and advanced materials for electric vehicles, telecommunications infrastructure, and industrial equipment markets. Management focuses on technological innovation, global production expansion, and strategic partnerships while maintaining quality standards and operational efficiency across international manufacturing operations.
Sumitomo Electric Industries financial statements
Analysts recommendation: N/A
Financial Health
- Return on assets (ROA): N/A
- Return on equity (ROE): N/A
- Return on investment (ROI): N/A
Profitability
- Gross margin: N/A
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Growth
- EPS (past 5 years): N/A
- EPS (current): N/A
- EPS estimate (next quarter): N/A
- EPS growth (this year): N/A
- EPS growth (next year): N/A
- EPS growth (next 5 years): N/A
- EPS growth (quarter-over-quarter): N/A
- Sales growth (past 5 years): N/A
- Sales growth (quarter-over-quarter): N/A
💡 Why invest in Sumitomo Electric Industries?
Sumitomo Electric offers automotive wiring expertise, advanced materials, and global production capacity across industrial markets:
- Automotive Wiring Leadership: A leading global supplier of automotive wiring harnesses and electrical systems, Sumitomo Electric serves major automakers with components that support vehicle electrification and advanced driver assistance technologies.
- Advanced Materials Innovation: The company develops optical fibers, semiconductors, and specialized electronic materials that enable telecommunications infrastructure, data communications, and industrial applications across global technology markets.
- Global Manufacturing Presence: Production facilities across Asia, Europe, and the Americas provide localized manufacturing capabilities and supply chain efficiency for multinational automotive, electronics, and telecommunications customers worldwide.
- Diversified Revenue Streams: Operations span automotive components, telecommunications, industrial materials, and electronics, creating balanced revenue exposure that reduces dependence on any single market segment or economic cycle.
🐌 Key considerations before investing in Sumitomo Electric Industries
Sumitomo Electric faces automotive market pressures, material cost volatility, and competitive challenges affecting performance:
- Automotive Cycle Exposure: Revenue depends heavily on global automotive production volumes and capital investment cycles, creating sensitivity to economic downturns, supply chain disruptions, and changing consumer vehicle demand patterns.
- Material Cost Volatility: Copper, aluminum, and specialty material price fluctuations can significantly impact manufacturing costs and profit margins across automotive wiring, electronics, and industrial materials business segments.
- Intense Competitive Pressure: The automotive components and electronics materials markets face strong competition from established global manufacturers and emerging Asian suppliers, pressuring pricing power and market share retention.
- Technology Transition Risk: Rapid shifts toward electric vehicles, autonomous driving systems, and next-generation telecommunications standards require continuous research investment and product development to maintain competitive positioning.
Final thoughts on Sumitomo Electric Industries
Sumitomo Electric Industries offers automotive wiring leadership, advanced materials capabilities, and diversified manufacturing operations that can support steady growth across global markets. Still, automotive cycle sensitivity, raw material cost volatility, and competitive pressure can significantly affect overall profitability during challenging economic conditions. For investors seeking exposure to automotive components and industrial electronics, Sumitomo Electric Industries provides established market positions and technological expertise across multiple growth sectors.
Relais Group (HE:RELAIS)
Relais Group is a leading Nordic automotive aftermarket company distributing spare parts, accessories, and services for passenger cars, commercial vehicles, and industrial equipment. Founded in 1932 and headquartered in Helsinki, Finland, the company dominates the Nordic automotive aftermarket through distribution centers, retail outlets, and service facilities. Relais Group serves professional workshops and retail customers across Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and the Baltic countries through multiple business segments.
Relais Group operates through several segments including Wholesale, Retail, and Logistics, providing comprehensive automotive aftermarket solutions across the Nordic region. The company distributes automotive spare parts and accessories while operating retail chains and offering logistics and warehousing services for professional customers. Through strategic acquisitions and digital initiatives, Relais Group strengthens its market leadership while expanding geographic reach in the Nordic aftermarket.
Relais Group financial statements
Analysts recommendation: N/A
Financial Health
- Return on assets (ROA): 4.48%
- Return on equity (ROE): 10.53%
- Return on investment (ROI): N/A
Profitability
- Gross margin: 48.72%
- Operating margin: 6.89%
- Net profit margin: 4.04%
Growth
- EPS (past 5 years): N/A
- EPS (current): 0.78
- EPS estimate (next quarter): N/A
- EPS growth (this year): -41.7%
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- Sales growth (quarter-over-quarter): 28.6%
💡 Why invest in Relais Group?
Relais Group combines Nordic aftermarket leadership, diversified operations, and strategic acquisitions for long-term investors:
- Nordic Market Leadership: Relais Group holds leading market positions across the Nordic automotive aftermarket with strong brand recognition, extensive distribution networks, and established long-term customer relationships across multiple countries.
- Diversified Business Model: The company operates across multiple business segments including wholesale distribution, retail operations, and logistics services, providing revenue diversification and reducing single market dependence.
- Essential Service Provider: Relais Group operates in the defensive automotive aftermarket sector, providing essential spare parts and services that maintain demand stability regardless of new car sales cycles or economic conditions.
- Strategic Acquisition Platform: The company`s proven acquisition strategy enables geographic expansion, market consolidation, and service portfolio enhancement through strategic purchases of regional automotive aftermarket businesses.
🐌 Key considerations before investing in Relais Group
Relais Group faces economic cycle sensitivity, geographic concentration, and supply chain dependencies affecting results:
- Economic Cycle Sensitivity: The automotive aftermarket can be affected by economic downturns, consumer spending patterns, and vehicle utilization rates that impact demand for spare parts and maintenance services across Nordic markets.
- Geographic Concentration Risk: Relais Group focus on Nordic markets creates geographic concentration risk and limits diversification opportunities in other regions with different economic cycles and automotive market dynamics across Europe.
- Supply Chain Dependencies: The company relies on complex global supply chains for automotive parts and accessories, creating potential risks related to supply disruptions, cost inflation, and inventory management across multiple product categories.
- Digital Transformation Pressure: The automotive aftermarket faces increasing digitalization requirements, e-commerce competition, and changing customer expectations that require continuous investment in technology and digital capabilities.
Final thoughts on Relais Group
Relais Group Nordic market leadership, diversified business model, and strategic acquisition platform create compelling opportunities for investors seeking defensive automotive aftermarket exposure. However, investors must consider economic cycle sensitivity, geographic concentration, and supply chain dependencies that characterize the regional European automotive aftermarket. Like a reliable service network keeping Nordic vehicles running, Relais Group offers stability and growth for investors who understand this specialized automotive sector.
Auto1 Group (DE:AG1)
Auto1 Group SE is Europes leading digital automotive platform, operating online marketplaces for buying and selling used cars across multiple European markets and regions. Founded in 2012 and headquartered in Berlin, Germany, the company transformed the traditional used car market through technology, data analytics, and advanced logistics capabilities. Auto1 Group established itself as the dominant player in European online automotive commerce through wholesale trading, retail sales, and automotive services.
Auto1 Group operates three core business segments including a wholesale dealer platform, a direct-to-consumer retail platform, and automotive services including financing and reconditioning. The company serves more than 30 European countries using proprietary algorithms for vehicle valuation and automated purchasing processes across its networks. The company focuses on capitalizing on automotive digitalization by building scalable platforms that connect buyers, sellers, and dealers across fragmented markets.
Auto1 Group financial statements
Analysts recommendation: 2.6
Financial Health
- Return on assets (ROA): 3.12%
- Return on equity (ROE): 12.4%
- Return on investment (ROI): -12.3%
Profitability
- Gross margin: 11.97%
- Operating margin: 1.48%
- Net profit margin: 1.03%
Growth
- EPS (past 5 years): -45.2%
- EPS (current): 0.36
- EPS estimate (next quarter): -1.85
- EPS growth (this year): 1027.3%
- EPS growth (next year): 156.8%
- EPS growth (next 5 years): 28.7%
- EPS growth (quarter-over-quarter): -67.3%
- Sales growth (past 5 years): 42.8%
- Sales growth (quarter-over-quarter): 32.8%
💡 Why invest in Auto1 Group?
Auto1 Group offers European market leadership, technology platforms, and digital commerce advantages in the automotive sector:
- European Leadership Dominance: Auto1 Group leads the European online used car market with established platforms, extensive dealer networks, and strong brand recognition that create durable competitive advantages across many markets.
- Technology Driven Operations: The company leverages advanced algorithms, data analytics, and automated processes for vehicle valuation, inventory management, and transaction processing that deliver significant operational efficiency gains.
- Pan-European Geographic Reach: Auto1 Group operates across 30+ European countries with localized platforms and services, providing strong geographic diversification and broad access to Europes large and highly fragmented used car market.
- Integrated Business Model: The company offers comprehensive automotive solutions including wholesale trading, retail sales, financing, logistics, and reconditioning services that create multiple revenue streams and customer touchpoints.
🐌 Key considerations before investing in Auto1 Group
Auto1 Group faces profitability challenges, competitive pressure, and macroeconomic sensitivity that affect financial performance:
- Profitability Margin Challenges: The company continues to face losses and negative margins as it invests heavily in growth, technology development, and market expansion while competing in low-margin automotive trading businesses across Europe.
- Competitive Market Pressure: The digital automotive market attracts competition from traditional dealers, other online platforms, and technology companies, creating pricing pressure and requiring continuous customer acquisition investment.
- Macroeconomic Sensitivity Exposure: Used car demand is highly sensitive to economic conditions, consumer confidence, and financing availability, making the business vulnerable to economic downturns and changes in automotive market dynamics.
- Operational Complexity Risk: Managing inventory, logistics, reconditioning, and quality control across many countries requires sophisticated operations that can face execution challenges and impact customer satisfaction and profit margins.
Final thoughts on Auto1 Group
Auto1 Group European leadership, technology-driven operations, and integrated business model create compelling opportunities for investors seeking broad automotive digitalization exposure. However, profitability challenges, competitive pressures, economic sensitivity, and operational complexity require careful evaluation of execution risks for all potential investors. Auto1 Group offers meaningful growth potential for investors who understand both the transformative opportunities and structural challenges of European automotive technology.
For broader context, see best automotive stocks.
For other International sectors and themes, see best basic materials, beauty, financial, industrial, or tech stocks.
For income-focused variants, see best dividend stocks.