Mary Barra, CEO of General Motors, attends the annual Allen and Co. Sun Valley Media and Technology Conference at the Sun Valley Resort in Sun Valley, Idaho, on July 8, 2025.

DETROIT — General Motors is on pace to be the top U.S.-traded automaker stock of 2025, as shares of GM are having their best year since the Detroit company's reemergence from bankruptcy in 2009.

GM stock is up over 55% to a record of more than $80 per share, as of Friday's close, topping the company's previous annual increase of 48.3% last year. That includes a nearly 13% rise so far in December, adding to five consecutive months of share gains, according to FactSet.

Several factors have been driving the share increase. But GM CEO Mary Barra and other executives have contended for years that the automaker's stock has been significantly undervalued given its consistent earnings performance.

"Great vehicles, innovative technology, a rewarding customer experience, along with strong financial results, will continue to set GM apart in an increasingly competitive landscape," Barra said during the company's last quarterly earnings call in October.

Amid the stock's run-up, Barra has significantly cut her position in the company. She has exercised options or sold roughly 1.8 million shares this year, valued at more than $73 million, according to public filings confirmed by GM.

As of the last public filing in September, Barra still owned more than 433,500 shares valued at over $35 million, with much of her annual awards granted in options and stock.

GM's stock performance compares with a 17% yearly increase for Tesla as of Friday's close, a 34% jump for Ford Motor and a 15% loss for Chrysler parent Stellantis . Other U.S.-traded automakers such as Honda Motor and Toyota Motor have had smaller annual gains.