Ford Motor (NYSE:F) Trading Down 2.3% – Should You Sell?

Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F) shares fell 2.3% during mid-day trading on Thursday . The company traded as low as $14.64 and last traded at $14.9240. Approximately 57,994,357 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 5% from the average session volume of 61,231,902 shares. The stock had previously closed at $15.28.

Key Headlines Impacting Ford Motor

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

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Ford Motor from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Monday, July 6th. Jefferies Financial Group upgraded shares of Ford Motor from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and lifted their target price for the company from $14.50 to $17.50 in a research report on Monday, July 27th. Citigroup upgraded shares of Ford Motor from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and lifted their target price for the company from $19.00 to $20.00 in a research report on Wednesday. DZ Bank raised shares of Ford Motor from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating and set a $16.00 price target for the company in a research note on Friday. Finally, Morgan Stanley reissued an “equal weight” rating and issued a $14.00 price target on shares of Ford Motor in a report on Wednesday, May 13th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have assigned a Buy rating, nine have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $15.68.

Ford Motor Price Performance

The company has a current ratio of 1.09, a quick ratio of 0.94 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.07. The stock has a market capitalization of $58.56 billion, a PE ratio of -7.86, a PEG ratio of 0.37 and a beta of 1.82. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $14.55 and a 200-day moving average price of $13.47.

Ford Motor (NYSE:F) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 28th. The auto manufacturer reported $0.42 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.33 by $0.09. The company had revenue of $48.30 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $47.24 billion. Ford Motor had a positive return on equity of 17.23% and a negative net margin of 3.93%.Ford Motor’s revenue for the quarter was down 3.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm posted $0.37 EPS. Research analysts expect that Ford Motor Company will post 1.72 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Ford Motor Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 1st. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, August 11th will be given a dividend of $0.15 per share. This represents a $0.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.1%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, August 11th. Ford Motor’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently -32.09%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Ford Motor

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. MV Capital Management Inc. purchased a new position in Ford Motor in the 4th quarter worth $25,000. McMillan Office Inc. bought a new stake in Ford Motor in the fourth quarter worth $26,000. Legacy Wealth Managment LLC ID boosted its position in Ford Motor by 108.4% during the first quarter. Legacy Wealth Managment LLC ID now owns 2,365 shares of the auto manufacturer’s stock valued at $27,000 after buying an additional 1,230 shares during the period. Johnson Financial Group Inc. boosted its position in Ford Motor by 55.4% during the third quarter. Johnson Financial Group Inc. now owns 2,348 shares of the auto manufacturer’s stock valued at $28,000 after buying an additional 837 shares during the period. Finally, Caldwell Trust Co increased its holdings in shares of Ford Motor by 605.8% in the first quarter. Caldwell Trust Co now owns 2,534 shares of the auto manufacturer’s stock worth $29,000 after buying an additional 2,175 shares during the period. 58.74% of the stock is currently owned by 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.