Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F) Given Average Rating of "Hold" by Analysts

Key Points

• Ford Motor has a consensus analyst rating of “Hold” from 16 brokerages, with an average 12-month price target of about $13.56. Analyst views are mixed, ranging from one sell to five buy ratings.
• The company recently posted better-than-expected quarterly results, reporting EPS of $0.66 versus the $0.18 estimate and revenue of $43.25 billion, up 6.4% year over year. Analysts now expect Ford to earn 1.6 EPS for the current fiscal year.
• Ford also announced a quarterly dividend of $0.15 per share, equal to a 4.5% yield. However, the stock has been volatile, with shares pulling back after a recent rally and some concern about broader auto industry headwinds.

Shares of Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F - Get Free Report) have received a consensus rating of "Hold" from the sixteen brokerages that are currently covering the stock, Marketbeat Ratings reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, ten have assigned a hold recommendation and five have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average twelve-month price objective among brokerages that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $13.5571.

Several research analysts have commented on the stock. Weiss Ratings restated a "buy (b)" rating on shares of Ford Motor in a research report on Friday, March 27th. TD Cowen lowered their price objective on shares of Ford Motor from $14.00 to $13.00 and set a "hold" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Morgan Stanley restated an "equal weight" rating and set a $14.00 price objective on shares of Ford Motor in a research report on Wednesday. Barclays boosted their price objective on shares of Ford Motor from $12.00 to $13.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Friday, January 23rd. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price target on shares of Ford Motor from $11.00 to $10.00 and set an "underweight" rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, March 31st.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, insider William Clay Ford, Jr. purchased 140,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 19th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $13.82 per share, with a total value 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 $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 is available at the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.63% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Ford Motor

Several institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Ford Motor by 0.9% during the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 471,705,454 shares of the auto manufacturer's stock valued at $6,188,776,000 after purchasing an additional 4,087,699 shares during the period. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Ford Motor by 2.8% during the fourth quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 152,017,084 shares of the auto manufacturer's stock valued at $1,994,464,000 after purchasing an additional 4,089,779 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Ford Motor by 1.2% during the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 106,600,353 shares of the auto manufacturer's stock valued at $1,394,697,000 after purchasing an additional 1,255,349 shares during the period. Norges Bank acquired a new position in shares of Ford Motor during the fourth quarter valued at about $674,437,000. Finally, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP raised its holdings in shares of Ford Motor by 3.5% during the first quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 47,442,901 shares of the auto manufacturer's stock valued at $547,379,000 after purchasing an additional 1,585,557 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 58.74% of the company's stock.

Ford Motor Stock Down 7.6%

Shares of F opened at $13.39 on Friday. Ford Motor has a one year low of $9.88 and a one year high of $14.94. The company has a market cap of $53.34 billion, a P/E ratio of -8.64, a P/E/G ratio of 0.30 and a beta of 1.65. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.84, a current ratio of 1.09 and a quick ratio of 0.94. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $12.15 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $13.01.

Ford Motor (NYSE:F - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 29th. The auto manufacturer reported $0.66 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 business had revenue of $43.25 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $42.66 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $0.14 earnings per share. The company's revenue was up 6.4% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts forecast that Ford Motor will post 1.6 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Ford Motor Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 1st. Investors of record on Tuesday, May 12th will be paid a $0.15 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, May 12th. This represents a $0.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.5%. Ford Motor's payout ratio is currently -38.71%.

Key Ford Motor News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Ford’s recent rally was driven by enthusiasm over its positioning in the energy storage market, which some analysts view as a potentially high-growth opportunity and a reason the stock surged sharply earlier in the week.
• Positive Sentiment: The stock remains a trending name with heavy investor attention, which can help sustain trading momentum if sentiment around the company’s strategy stays positive. Ford Motor Company (F) Is a Trending Stock: Facts to Know Before Betting on It
• Neutral Sentiment: Royal Bank of Canada reaffirmed its sector perform rating and set a $13 price target, implying limited upside from current levels and reinforcing a more cautious stance. Ford Motor had its sector perform rating reaffirmed by Royal Bank Of Canada
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage highlighting Ford as one of the top dividend alternatives to low-yielding bonds and cash-like investments may support the stock for income-focused investors, but it is not a direct catalyst. The S&P 500 Barely Yields 2%. These 3 Dividend Stocks Under $30 Are Doing Much Better Than That
• Negative Sentiment: Ford is giving back part of this week’s big gains, with traders likely taking profits after the stock’s rapid move higher.
• Negative Sentiment: Broader concerns about the auto industry, including more than 20,000 U.S. salaried job cuts at Detroit automakers amid AI-related disruption, may add to investor caution around Ford. Detroit automakers have cut more than 20,000 U.S. salaried jobs as AI threat looms
• Negative Sentiment: Short-term trading commentary now frames Ford’s surge as potentially overextended, with some articles suggesting the rally may be running out of steam. Stock Of The Day: Where Will The Ford Rally End?

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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