KBC Group NV Raises Stock Position in Ford Motor Company $F

Key Points

• KBC Group NV boosted its Ford Motor stake by 223.5% in the first quarter, ending with 2.23 million shares worth about $25.7 million.
• Other institutions also added to or initiated positions, and overall 58.74% of Ford’s stock is now held by institutional investors and hedge funds.
• Analyst sentiment remains cautious: Ford has a Hold consensus rating with a $14.79 average price target, even as some firms recently upgraded the stock and Ford’s latest earnings topped estimates.

KBC Group NV increased its position in shares of Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F - Free Report) by 223.5% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 2,229,629 shares of the auto manufacturer's stock after acquiring an additional 1,540,403 shares during the quarter. KBC Group NV owned about 0.06% of Ford Motor worth $25,729,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. SEB Asset Management AB acquired a new stake in shares of Ford Motor in the 1st quarter worth $24,355,000. Swiss National Bank increased its position in Ford Motor by 7.2% during the 1st quarter. Swiss National Bank now owns 11,485,586 shares of the auto manufacturer's stock valued at $132,544,000 after buying an additional 773,700 shares in the last quarter. World Equity Group Inc. increased its position in Ford Motor by 7.6% during the 1st quarter. World Equity Group Inc. now owns 18,420 shares of the auto manufacturer's stock valued at $213,000 after buying an additional 1,300 shares in the last quarter. AIA Group Ltd purchased a new stake in Ford Motor in the first quarter valued at about $175,000. Finally, Spartan Wealth Advisory Services LLC purchased a new stake in Ford Motor in the first quarter valued at about $432,000. 58.74% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages have recently weighed in on F. BNP Paribas Exane boosted their price target on Ford Motor from $13.00 to $14.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 14th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "buy (b)" rating on shares of Ford Motor in a research report on Wednesday, June 24th. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Ford Motor from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Monday, July 6th. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Ford Motor from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Saturday, June 13th. Finally, Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an "equal weight" rating and issued a $14.00 price target on shares of Ford Motor in a report on Wednesday, May 13th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have given a Buy rating, ten have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $14.79.

Trending Headlines about Ford Motor

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

• Positive Sentiment: Ford is expected to report second-quarter results soon, and some analysts think the company has a good chance to beat earnings estimates, which is supporting the shares. Ford Motor Company (F) Expected to Beat Earnings Estimates: Should You Buy?
• Positive Sentiment: Ford’s commercial business and software subscriptions are being highlighted as offsetting some of the pressure from weaker U.S. sales and EV losses, which could help results. Ford Gears Up to Report Q2 Earnings: Here's What to Expect
• Positive Sentiment: Ford joined BlackRock, Carhartt, and Google in a new workforce-training alliance, a move that could strengthen its brand and support long-term talent development. BlackRock, Carhartt, Ford and Google Launch New Alliance to Expand Skilled Workforce Training
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent media coverage about alleged worker theft and firings at Ford plants is likely a reputation issue, but it does not appear material enough on its own to drive the stock.
• Neutral Sentiment: Broader auto-brand commentary in the news mainly focused on Chrysler being ranked poorly; it does not directly affect Ford’s fundamentals.

Ford Motor Stock Up 2.0%

Shares of F stock opened at $14.28 on Wednesday. The stock's 50-day simple moving average is $14.38 and its 200-day simple moving average is $13.42. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.84, a quick ratio of 0.94 and a current ratio of 1.09. The firm has a market capitalization of $56.88 billion, a PE ratio of -9.21, a P/E/G ratio of 0.31 and a beta of 1.82. Ford Motor Company has a fifty-two week low of $10.68 and a fifty-two week high of $17.78.

Ford Motor (NYSE:F - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, April 29th. The auto manufacturer reported $0.66 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.18 by $0.48. The firm had revenue of $43.25 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $42.66 billion. Ford Motor had a positive return on equity of 15.77% and a negative net margin of 3.22%.The company's revenue was up 6.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $0.14 earnings per share. Equities analysts expect that Ford Motor Company will post 1.66 earnings per share for the current year.

Ford Motor Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, June 1st. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, May 12th were paid a dividend of $0.15 per share. This represents a $0.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.2%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, May 12th. Ford Motor's payout ratio is presently -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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