NEW YORK (Reuters) -- Senior executives at General Motors Corp. and Ford Motor Co. have discussed a merger or alliance, industry newspaper Automotive News reported Monday.
Citing several sources familiar with the talks, the paper said it is not clear whether the negotiations will bear fruit.
As of now, the two companies are not holding talks, and one source says there is a slim chance that anything will come of the situation, Automotive News said.
GM (Charts) and Ford (Charts) were not immediately available for comment.
The news comes just after Ford updated its turnaround plan on Friday, saying it would cut another 10,000 white-collar jobs, hasten and expand plant closings and suspend its dividend in the fourth quarter.
GM is in the midst of discussions with Nissan (Charts) and Renault about the possibility of a partnership.
Shares of Daimler Chrysler (Charts) edged higher Friday after said it would cut U.S. production through the end of 2006. Toyota (Charts) shares were slightly lower.
http://money.cnn.com/2006/09/18/news/compa...sion=2006091806