During the 2010 Global Automotive Aftermarket Symposium, coming up on May 18-19, Tony Cristello, senior vice president of BB&T Capital Markets, will provide a financial forecast for the aftermarket.

His presentation, "The Economy and the Aftermarket," will examine the prospects for 2010.

"A year ago, we were cautiously optimistic that 2009 would prove to be a solid year for the aftermarket," Cristello said. "Between a financially constrained consumer base, reduced new vehicle sales, and the fallout of dealership closings, we thought underlying industry fundamentals for the independent aftermarket would improve - and they did. Now many investors are asking, 'Is this a temporary phenomenon or rather a multi-year cycle that should provide above average growth in 2010 and beyond?'"

According to Cristello, he'll look at how publicly traded aftermarket companies fared, and what structural shifts may have occurred across the supply chain.

The Global Automotive Aftermarket Symposium will be held May 18-19 at the Hyatt Regency near Chicago.

For more information, visit www.globalsymposium.org.