Yes and no. According to the company’s latest sales figures, Aston Martin is selling more cars compared to this time last year. But it still posted a loss. In the first quarter of the year, the British luxury performance brand sold 1,353 cars. The DBX accounted for 55 percent of registered sales. While Aston Martin’s revenues increased to £224M, a 153-percent increase, the company still incurred losses of £38.1M. The Covid-19 pandemic caused a drastic loss of £230M in revenue for the first six months in 2020. The negative Q1 2021 results are seen as a financial recovery by the markets.

Aston Martin estimates it is on schedule to record 6,000 vehicle sales for the year. The overall target is to reach 10,000 vehicle sales by 2024. By this time Aston will introduce electrified and hybrid models. The transition to a pure electric car future remains uncertain. One can speculate Aston Martin will borrow electric car drivetrains from Mercedes Benz who has a vested interest in the British firm.

But there is a problem here. The vehicle sales are for the wholesale market, dealerships. To that end it is difficult to say if there is actual consumer demand for the DBX and for other performance models. It appears to be a similar situation Aston Martin found themselves in with previous CEO Andy Palmer. Only this time the losses have been reduced.

But they are still losses. And what happens if the dealerships can not shift cars quickly enough or demand flatlines? It is more than probable Aston Martin will not sell 6,000 cars this year. They will get close, but will that be enough?

While Aston Martin struggles back to recovery mode rival British luxury brand, Bentley, had roaring sales in 2020 shifting 11,206 cars. The Bentayga accounted for 37-percent of total sales. Clearly, Aston Martin has some ways to go. The most important issue here is that stock markets are happy with Aston’s negative Q1 results. And if the stock markets are happy then Aston Martin will have a happy year. Even if they end up making a small loss.

The stock markets rely on one metric above all else. Confidence, which isn’t a measurable value it is an instinctive roll of the dice based on measurable values. And the stock markets are volatile. Market manipulation, while illegal, is commonplace and this is an additional burden a fragile company such as Aston Martin has on top of its historic and troubled financial stability.