Ford Motor (NYSE:F) Trading Down 1.1% – Time to Sell?

Shares of Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F) fell 1.1% during trading on Friday . The company traded as low as $14.41 and last traded at $14.6950. 54,428,133 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 11% from the average session volume of 61,132,680 shares. The stock had previously closed at $14.86.

Key Ford Motor News

Here are the key news stories impacting Ford Motor this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Profit beat supports the stock: Ford reported quarterly earnings of $0.42 per share, exceeding the $0.33 analyst consensus, while revenue of $48.30 billion also topped expectations. The earnings beat outweighed the year-over-year revenue decline and has been a key reason for the stock’s recent increase. Why Ford Stock Is Up Today
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst sentiment is improving modestly: DZ Bank upgraded Ford from “sell” to “hold” and set a $16 price target, implying approximately 9% potential upside from the recently cited share price. JPMorgan, TD Cowen and Piper Sandler also reportedly forecast further appreciation. Ford Analyst Upgrade
• Positive Sentiment: Defense business offers diversification: Ford secured its largest U.S. Army truck contract since the Cold War, involving F-Series-based tactical truck prototypes. The program could provide an additional revenue opportunity beyond conventional vehicle sales. Ford Lands Army Truck Contract
• Neutral Sentiment: Brokerage consensus remains cautious: Ford has an average “hold” recommendation, while BNP Paribas Exane raised its target from $14 to $14.50 but maintained a neutral rating. BNP Paribas Exane Ford Target
• Neutral Sentiment: Unusually large options activity may increase trading volatility, but the available report does not establish whether investors were betting bullishly or bearishly. Ford Options Trading
• Negative Sentiment: EV momentum appears to be weakening: Ford and General Motors are reportedly discussing electric vehicles less frequently with investors after previously committing billions of dollars to EV initiatives. This may reinforce concerns about strategy, demand and the returns on Ford’s EV investments. GM and Ford EV Strategy
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts and commentators remain skeptical of Ford’s attempts to diversify beyond automobiles, citing the automaker’s mixed track record with such initiatives. Ford Diversification Concerns
• Negative Sentiment: CEO Jim Farley warned employees that Chinese automakers could enter the U.S. market within five to ten years, highlighting a longer-term competitive threat despite current trade barriers. Ford CEO on Chinese Competition

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

F has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Citigroup raised shares of Ford Motor from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and boosted their price objective for the company from $19.00 to $20.00 in a research report on Wednesday. TD Cowen raised their target price on shares of Ford Motor from $13.00 to $15.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday. Zacks Research raised shares of Ford Motor from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Monday, July 6th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Ford Motor in a research note on Wednesday, June 24th. Finally, DZ Bank upgraded shares of Ford Motor from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating and set a $16.00 price target on the stock in a research report on Friday. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have given a Buy rating, nine have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $15.68.

Ford Motor Stock Down 1.1%

The company has a market capitalization of $58.56 billion, a P/E ratio of -7.86, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.36 and a beta of 1.82. The company has a 50-day moving average of $14.55 and a two-hundred day moving average of $13.47. The company has a quick ratio of 0.94, a current ratio of 1.09 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.07.

Ford Motor (NYSE:F) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 28th. The auto manufacturer reported $0.42 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.33 by $0.09. The business had revenue of $48.30 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $47.24 billion. Ford Motor had a positive return on equity of 17.23% and a negative net margin of 3.93%.The firm’s quarterly revenue was down 3.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $0.37 earnings per share. On average, research analysts predict that Ford Motor Company will post 1.86 EPS for the current year.

Ford Motor Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 1st. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, August 11th will be given a $0.15 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, August 11th. This represents a $0.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.1%. Ford Motor’s dividend payout ratio is currently -32.09%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of F. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its stake in shares of Ford Motor by 0.9% during the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 471,705,454 shares of the auto manufacturer’s stock valued at $6,188,776,000 after purchasing an additional 4,087,699 shares in the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. boosted its position in shares of Ford Motor by 2.8% in the 4th quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 152,017,084 shares of the auto manufacturer’s stock worth $1,994,464,000 after purchasing an additional 4,089,779 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Ford Motor by 1.2% in the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 106,600,353 shares of the auto manufacturer’s stock worth $1,394,697,000 after buying an additional 1,255,349 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in shares of Ford Motor in the 4th quarter worth approximately $674,437,000. Finally, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP increased its position in Ford Motor by 3.5% during the 1st quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 47,442,901 shares of the auto manufacturer’s stock valued at $547,379,000 after buying an additional 1,585,557 shares in the last quarter. 58.74% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Ford Motor

Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F) is an American multinational automaker headquartered in Dearborn, Michigan. Founded by Henry Ford in 1903, the company became an early pioneer of mass-production techniques with the Model T and the adoption of the moving assembly line. Today, Ford designs, manufactures, markets and services a broad range of vehicles and mobility solutions under the Ford and Lincoln brands, spanning passenger cars, SUVs, pickup trucks and commercial vehicles.

Ford’s business activities extend beyond vehicle production to include parts and aftermarket services, fleet and commercial sales, and automotive financing through Ford Motor Credit Company.