Ford Motor Company $F Holdings Cut by VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al

Key Points

• Virginia Retirement Systems ET Al cut its Ford Motor stake by 49.4% in the fourth quarter, selling 1,482,200 shares and ending with 1,515,700 shares valued at about $19.9 million.
• Ford reported better-than-expected quarterly results, posting EPS of $0.66 versus $0.18 expected and revenue of $43.25 billion versus $42.66 billion estimated. Revenue rose 6.4% year over year.
• Analysts are mostly cautious on Ford, with an overall “Hold” rating and an average price target of $13.56. Ford also declared a quarterly dividend of $0.15 per share, implying a 4.4% yield.

VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al decreased its stake in shares of Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F - Free Report) by 49.4% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 1,515,700 shares of the auto manufacturer's stock after selling 1,482,200 shares during the period. VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al's holdings in Ford Motor were worth $19,886,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Caxton Associates LLP bought a new position in shares of Ford Motor in the first quarter valued at approximately $304,000. Empowered Funds LLC raised its stake 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 valued at $1,482,000 after acquiring an additional 43,385 shares during the last quarter. Jump Financial LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Ford Motor in the second quarter valued at approximately $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 valued at $2,907,000 after purchasing an additional 55,741 shares in the last quarter. 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 valued at $19,786,000 after purchasing an additional 26,526 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 58.74% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

F has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an "equal weight" rating and set a $14.00 target price on shares of Ford Motor in a report on Wednesday. Citigroup lowered their target price on shares of Ford Motor from $13.50 to $13.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a report on Monday, May 4th. Bank of America initiated coverage on shares of Ford Motor in a report on Wednesday, March 4th. They set a "buy" rating and a $17.00 target price for the company. Zacks Research lowered shares of Ford Motor from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Monday, March 16th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada lifted their target price on shares of Ford Motor from $11.00 to $13.00 and gave the stock a "sector perform" rating in a report on Thursday, April 30th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, ten have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $13.56.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, insider William Clay Ford, Jr. acquired 140,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 19th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $13.82 per share, with a total value of $1,934,800.00. Following the transaction, the insider owned 3,912,600 shares of the company's stock, valued at $54,072,132. The trade was a 3.71% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 0.63% of the company's stock.

Ford Motor Price Performance

Shares of F stock opened at $13.57 on Thursday. Ford Motor Company has a 12-month low of $9.88 and a 12-month high of $14.80. The firm has a market capitalization of $54.05 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -8.75, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.27 and a beta of 1.65. The company has a quick ratio of 0.94, a current ratio of 1.09 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.84. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $12.11 and a 200-day moving average of $13.01.

Ford Motor (NYSE:F - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly 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. The company had revenue of $43.25 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $42.66 billion. Ford Motor had a negative net margin of 3.22% and a positive return on equity of 15.77%. The firm's revenue was up 6.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $0.14 EPS. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Ford Motor Company will post 1.58 earnings per share for the current year.

Ford Motor Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 1st. Investors of record on Tuesday, May 12th will be given a $0.15 dividend. This represents a $0.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, May 12th. Ford Motor's payout ratio is currently -38.71%.

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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