Santa Cruz County new car sales fall 15% as gas prices, interest rates squeeze buyers
Published . Updated .
New car sales in Santa Cruz County dropped more than 15% in the first nine months of 2026. Between steep prices, expensive loans and pricey gas, a lot of people are just keeping the cars they have. Dealers say used cars and hybrids are still selling, but stricter auto lending is
Directly affected
- No company is named in this report.
Indirectly affected
- UNG United States Natural Gas Fund-9.2% 30d
United States Natural Gas Fund: it follows natural-gas prices. Linked by “gas prices” (natural gas) in this story.
- XLE Energy Select Sector SPDR+5.6% 30d
Energy Select Sector SPDR: it follows natural-gas prices. Linked by “gas prices” (natural gas) in this story.
- CARZ First Trust S-Network Future Vehicles & Technology ETF
First Trust S-Network Future Vehicles & Technology ETF: it holds carmakers and parts makers. Linked by “car” (autos) in this story.
- USO United States Oil Fund+2.7% 30d
United States Oil Fund: its price follows crude oil. Linked by “gas prices” (oil) in this story.
- TSLA Tesla+9.8% 30d
Tesla (motor vehicles and passenger car bodies): carmakers move with demand, costs and trade rules. Linked by “car” (autos) in this story.
- LNG Cheniere Energy+11.0% 30d
Cheniere Energy (natural gas distribution): gas producers and exporters earn more when gas prices rise. Linked by “gas prices” (natural gas) in this story.
- GM General Motors-12.5% 30d
General Motors (motor vehicles and passenger car bodies): carmakers move with demand, costs and trade rules. Linked by “car” (autos) in this story.
- TM Toyota Motor+2.2% 30d
Toyota Motor (motor vehicles and passenger car bodies): carmakers move with demand, costs and trade rules. Linked by “car” (autos) in this story.
Price reaction, T-5 to T+3
| Ticker | T-5 | T-3 | T-1 | T0 | T+1 | T+2 | T+3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UNG | +9.66% | +3.39% | base | after close | after close | after close | after close |
| XLENo price data for this ticker | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| CARZNo price data for this ticker | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| USONo price data for this ticker | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| TSLANo price data for this ticker | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| LNGNo price data for this ticker | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| GMNo price data for this ticker | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| TMNo price data for this ticker | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Closing-price change versus T-1, the last close before the story. T0 to T+3 fill in after each market close. Prices: Alpaca IEX.
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Santa Cruz County new car sales fall 15% as gas prices, interest rates squeeze buyers Lookout Santa Cruz
Source: Lookout Santa Cruz
The price since 27 Oct 2026: United States Natural Gas Fund (UNG) versus the S&P 500
| Company | When | Move | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States Natural Gas Fund (UNG) | three days earlier | +3.39% | final price |
| United States Natural Gas Fund (UNG) | five days earlier | +9.66% | final price |
Trades by members of Congress and officials in the stocks in this story
- Rep. Rohit Khanna bought Tesla (TSLA) (held by a spouse), worth $1,001 - $15,000 on 25 Sep 2026. That is 32 days before publication. Filed 7 Oct 2026. View the filing.
- Rep. Rohit Khanna bought Tesla (TSLA) (held by a dependent child), worth $15,001 - $50,000 on 11 Sep 2026. That is 46 days before publication. Filed 7 Oct 2026. View the filing.
- Rep. Rohit Khanna bought Tesla (TSLA) (held by a spouse), worth $1,001 - $15,000 on 4 Sep 2026. That is 53 days before publication. Filed 7 Oct 2026. View the filing.
- Donald J Trump, an executive branch official, sold General Motors (GM), worth $1,001 - $15,000 on 24 Aug 2026. That is 64 days before publication. Filed 8 Oct 2026. View the filing.
- Rep. Michael T. McCaul sold Eqt (EQT) (held by a spouse), worth $1,001 - $15,000 on 27 Aug 2026. That is 61 days before publication. Filed 14 Oct 2026. View the filing.
- Donald J Trump, an executive branch official, bought Eqt (EQT), worth $1,001 - $15,000 on 17 Aug 2026. That is 71 days before publication. Filed 8 Oct 2026. View the filing.
- Rep. Michael T. McCaul sold Eqt (EQT) (held by a spouse), worth $1,001 - $15,000 on 14 Aug 2026. That is 74 days before publication. Filed 14 Oct 2026. View the filing.
- Donald J Trump, an executive branch official, sold Kinder Morgan (KMI), worth $1,001 - $15,000 on 31 Jul 2026. That is 88 days before publication. Filed 22 Sep 2026. View the filing.
- Sen. Alan Armstrong sold Williams Companies (WMB) (jointly held), worth $250,001 - $500,000 on 8 Sep 2026. That is 49 days before publication. Filed 22 Oct 2026. View the filing.
- Sen. Alan Armstrong bought Williams Companies (WMB) (jointly held), worth $15,001 - $50,000 on 20 Aug 2026. That is 68 days before publication. Filed 17 Sep 2026. View the filing.
- Sen. Alan Armstrong bought Williams Companies (WMB) (jointly held), worth $1,001 - $15,000 on 19 Aug 2026. That is 69 days before publication. Filed 17 Sep 2026. View the filing.
Public disclosure filings, not a recommendation. The filing link is the source document. News use of these reports still sits under 5 U.S.C. § 13107(c).
Who gains and who loses around United States Natural Gas Fund (UNG)
Companies mentioned with this story
- UNG United States Natural Gas Fund
For “Santa Cruz County new car sales fall 15% as gas prices, interest rates squeeze buyers,” United States Natural Gas Fund (UNG) is linked, with no stored direction, medium confidence. Reason on file: United States Natural Gas Fund: it follows natural-gas prices. Linked by “gas prices” (natural gas) in this story
- XLE Select Sector Spdr Tr
For “Santa Cruz County new car sales fall 15% as gas prices, interest rates squeeze buyers,” Select Sector Spdr Tr (XLE) is linked, with no stored direction, medium confidence. Reason on file: Energy Select Sector SPDR: it follows natural-gas prices. Linked by “gas prices” (natural gas) in this story
- USO United States Oil Fund
For “Santa Cruz County new car sales fall 15% as gas prices, interest rates squeeze buyers,” United States Oil Fund (USO) is linked, with no stored direction, medium confidence. Reason on file: United States Oil Fund: its price follows crude oil. Linked by “gas prices” (oil) in this story
- TLT Ishares Tr
For “Santa Cruz County new car sales fall 15% as gas prices, interest rates squeeze buyers,” Ishares Tr (TLT) is linked, with no stored direction, medium confidence. Reason on file: iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF: Treasury bond prices move with interest-rate expectations. Linked by “interest rates” (US interest rates) in this story
- LNG Cheniere Energy
For “Santa Cruz County new car sales fall 15% as gas prices, interest rates squeeze buyers,” Cheniere Energy (LNG) is linked, with no stored direction, medium confidence. Reason on file: Cheniere Energy (natural gas distribution): gas producers and exporters earn more when gas prices rise. Linked by “gas prices” (natural gas) in this story
- EQT Eqt
In “Santa Cruz County new car sales fall 15% as gas prices, interest rates squeeze buyers,” Eqt (EQT) is linked, with no stored direction, medium confidence. Reason on file: Eqt (crude petroleum and natural gas): gas producers and exporters earn more when gas prices rise. Linked by “gas prices” (natural gas) in this story
- KMI Kinder Morgan
In “Santa Cruz County new car sales fall 15% as gas prices, interest rates squeeze buyers,” Kinder Morgan (KMI) is linked, with no stored direction, medium confidence. Reason on file: Kinder Morgan (natural gas transmission): gas producers and exporters earn more when gas prices rise. Linked by “gas prices” (natural gas) in this story
- WMB Williams Companies
Williams Companies (WMB) is linked, with no stored direction, medium confidence in the 27 Oct 2026 story “Santa Cruz County new car sales fall 15% as gas prices, interest rates squeeze buyers.” Reason on file: The Williams Companies (natural gas transmission): gas producers and exporters earn more when gas prices rise. Linked by “gas prices” (natural gas) in this story
United States Natural Gas Fund (UNG)
The 27 Oct 2026 story “Santa Cruz County new car sales fall 15% as gas prices, interest rates squeeze buyers” names United States Natural Gas Fund (UNG) because of this story.
For United States Natural Gas Fund (UNG), the reason on file says United States Natural Gas Fund: it follows natural-gas prices. Linked by “gas prices” (natural gas) in this story
Select Sector Spdr Tr (XLE) is here too. Its reason reads: Energy Select Sector SPDR: it follows natural-gas prices. Linked by “gas prices” (natural gas) in this story
Price levels for United States Natural Gas Fund (UNG)
UNG traded between 9.36 and 11.43 across 20 sessions. The latest close on file is 9.57. USO traded between 141.82 and 169.96 across 20 sessions. The latest close on file is 166.26. XLE traded between 60.95 and 69.86 across 20 sessions. The latest close on file is 69.64.
How strong the case is around United States Natural Gas Fund (UNG)
46 out of 100
“Santa Cruz County new car sales fall 15% as gas prices, interest rates squeeze buyers” scores 46 out of 100. The score uses 1 sources, and 8 linked companies.