Ameritas Advisory Services LLC Boosts Stock Position in Ford Motor Company $F

Key Points

• Ameritas Advisory Services LLC increased its Ford stake by 354% in the fourth quarter, ending with 110,660 shares worth about $1.45 million.
• Ford recently reported better-than-expected quarterly earnings, posting $0.66 EPS versus estimates of $0.18 and revenue of $43.25 billion, up 6.4% year over year.
• The company also announced a quarterly dividend of $0.15 per share, equal to an annualized yield of about 4.1%.

Ameritas Advisory Services LLC grew its stake in shares of Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F - Free Report) by 354.0% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 110,660 shares of the auto manufacturer's stock after acquiring an additional 86,288 shares during the period. Ameritas Advisory Services LLC's holdings in Ford Motor were worth $1,452,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Caxton Associates LLP bought a new position in shares of Ford Motor in the first quarter worth $304,000. Empowered Funds LLC increased its holdings in shares of Ford Motor by 41.6% in the first quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 147,760 shares of the auto manufacturer's stock worth $1,482,000 after purchasing an additional 43,385 shares during the period. Jump Financial LLC bought a new position in shares of Ford Motor in the second quarter worth $172,000. NewEdge Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of Ford Motor by 26.3% in the second quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 267,895 shares of the auto manufacturer's stock worth $2,907,000 after purchasing an additional 55,741 shares during the period. Finally, Treasurer of the State of North Carolina increased its holdings in shares of Ford Motor by 1.5% in the second quarter. Treasurer of the State of North Carolina now owns 1,823,614 shares of the auto manufacturer's stock worth $19,786,000 after purchasing an additional 26,526 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 58.74% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts recently commented on F shares. UBS Group reduced their target price on Ford Motor from $15.00 to $14.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, April 30th. Royal Bank Of Canada increased their target price on Ford Motor from $11.00 to $13.00 and gave the company a "sector perform" rating in a research note on Thursday, April 30th. Morgan Stanley reissued an "equal weight" rating and issued a $14.00 target price on shares of Ford Motor in a research note on Wednesday. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their target price on Ford Motor from $11.00 to $10.00 and set an "underweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, March 31st. Finally, TD Cowen lowered their target price on Ford Motor from $14.00 to $13.00 and set a "hold" rating for the company in a research note on Friday, May 1st. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, ten have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $13.56.

Ford Motor Price Performance

F stock opened at $14.46 on Friday. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $12.14 and a 200-day moving average price of $13.01. Ford Motor Company has a 52-week low of $9.88 and a 52-week high of $14.94. The firm has a market capitalization of $57.63 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -9.33, a PEG ratio of 0.30 and a beta of 1.65. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.84, a quick ratio of 0.94 and a current ratio of 1.09.

Ford Motor (NYSE:F - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, April 29th. The auto manufacturer reported $0.66 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.18 by $0.48. Ford Motor had a negative net margin of 3.22% and a positive return on equity of 15.77%. The firm had revenue of $43.25 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $42.66 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $0.14 earnings per share. The business's revenue was up 6.4% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts forecast that Ford Motor Company will post 1.6 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Ford Motor Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 1st. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, May 12th will be issued a dividend of $0.15 per share. This represents a $0.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.1%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, May 12th. Ford Motor's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently -38.71%.

Ford Motor News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Ford’s energy storage push is drawing strong investor enthusiasm, with Morgan Stanley’s bullish research helping spark a major rally in the shares. Reuters: Ford stock surges 13% on investor optimism for new energy storage business
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts are highlighting Ford’s energy storage strategy as a potential long-term profit driver, helping the stock extend its rally and outperform other automakers. CNBC: Ford surges 20% in two days. It might be an AI 'meme' stock after energy pivot
• Positive Sentiment: The stock’s rapid move higher has made Ford one of the market’s top performers, with traders betting the company’s new business mix could unlock more upside. Invezz: Why Ford Motor stock is one of the market's top performers today
• Neutral Sentiment: Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an “equal weight” rating and set a $14 price target, which is close to the recent trading range and may temper some of the rally’s upside. Benzinga rating update

Insider Activity

In other Ford Motor news, insider William Clay Ford, Jr. bought 140,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 19th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $13.82 per share, for a total transaction of $1,934,800.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the insider owned 3,912,600 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $54,072,132. This trade represents a 3.71% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Insiders own 0.63% 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.

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