Ford Motor (NYSE:F) Shares Down 1.2% – Should You Sell?

Shares of Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F) were down 1.2% during mid-day trading on Wednesday . The stock traded as low as $12.58 and last traded at $12.6230. Approximately 23,905,339 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 60% from the average daily volume of 59,806,211 shares. The stock had previously closed at $12.78.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms recently commented on F. Zacks Research lowered Ford Motor from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, March 16th. Bank of America assumed coverage on Ford Motor in a report on Wednesday, March 4th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $17.00 price target for the company. UBS Group upgraded Ford Motor from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $15.00 price objective on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, April 14th. HSBC raised their price objective on shares of Ford Motor from $9.80 to $12.80 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 13th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company decreased their target price on shares of Ford Motor from $11.00 to $10.00 and set an “underweight” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, March 31st. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $13.66.

Ford Motor Trading Down 1.2%

The stock has a market cap of $50.36 billion, a PE ratio of -6.13, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.30 and a beta of 1.70. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.95, a quick ratio of 0.94 and a current ratio of 1.07. The company has a 50 day moving average of $12.57 and a two-hundred day moving average of $12.97.

Ford Motor (NYSE:F) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 11th. The auto manufacturer reported $0.13 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.06 by $0.07. Ford Motor had a positive return on equity of 10.16% and a negative net margin of 4.37%.The company had revenue of $45.89 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $41.78 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $0.39 earnings per share. Ford Motor’s revenue for the quarter was down 4.8% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Ford Motor Company will post 1.51 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Ford Motor Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 2nd. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 13th were given a dividend of $0.15 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 13th. This represents a $0.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.8%. Ford Motor’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is -29.13%.

Insider Transactions at Ford Motor

In related news, insider William Clay Ford, Jr. acquired 140,000 shares of Ford Motor stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 19th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $13.82 per share, for a total transaction of $1,934,800.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 3,912,600 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $54,072,132. The trade was a 3.71% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Corporate insiders own 0.63% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Ford Motor

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Grove Bank & Trust boosted its holdings in Ford Motor by 110.7% in the 4th quarter. Grove Bank & Trust now owns 1,903 shares of the auto manufacturer’s stock worth $25,000 after buying an additional 1,000 shares during the last quarter. MV Capital Management Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Ford Motor during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Olistico Wealth LLC purchased a new position in shares of Ford Motor in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $26,000. McMillan Office Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Ford Motor in the fourth quarter worth approximately $26,000. Finally, Johnson Financial Group Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Ford Motor by 55.4% in the third quarter. Johnson Financial Group Inc. now owns 2,348 shares of the auto manufacturer’s stock worth $28,000 after acquiring an additional 837 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 58.74% of the company’s stock.

Ford Motor Company Profile

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.