Investors Remain Cautious about Fiat Chrysler Automobiles

Investors have responded cautiously so far to this week's listing of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV on the New York Stock Exchange.

Shares in the merger of Fiat SpA and Chrysler Group LLC (symbol: FCAU) opened at $9 (€7.11) per share on Monday, briefly jumped to $9.55 and closed at $8.92. About 5.8 million shares changed hands.

On Tuesday, FCA shares again opened at $9. They spent most of the day at about the same price and closed at $8.95. Trading volume dropping to about 2.5 million shares.

U.S. analysts say the appeal of FCA stock is muted by the company's high debt, weaker margins in North America and relatively small presence in China. They also criticize the age of the company's product lineup.

But FCA CEO Sergio Marchionne remains optimistic, noting that investors traditional undervalue auto stocks. Next month he will begin an investor road show to promote the company's goals: a 60% hike in unit sales to 7 million and a 500% jump in net profit to $6.9 billion by 2018.