Ford Motor (NYSE:F) Shares Up 4% After Insider Buying Activity

Key Points

• Insider buy and stock move: William Clay Ford, Jr. purchased 140,000 shares at an average price of $13.82 (about $1.93M), raising his stake to 3,912,600 shares, and Ford shares jumped ~4% intraday to a high of $14.33 on higher volume.
• Quarterly results beat estimates: Ford reported EPS of $0.13 vs. a $0.06 estimate and revenue of $45.89B vs. $41.78B, despite a negative net margin of 4.37% and a consensus analyst forecast of about 1.47 EPS for the year.
• Mixed analyst view and dividend: The consensus rating is "Hold" with a $13.02 target (recent price-target increases in the $12.80–$14 range), and Ford declared a $0.15 quarterly dividend (annualized $0.60, ~4.2% yield).

Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F - Get Free Report) shares were up 4% during trading on Tuesday after an insider bought additional shares in the company. The company traded as high as $14.33 and last traded at $14.1840. Approximately 73,506,318 shares traded hands during trading, an increase of 6% from the average daily volume of 69,659,883 shares. The stock had previously closed at $13.64.

Specifically, insider William Clay Ford, Jr. bought 140,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 19th. The shares were bought at an average price of $13.82 per share, for a total transaction of $1,934,800.00. Following the purchase, the insider owned 3,912,600 shares in the company, valued at $54,072,132. This represents a 3.71% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this link.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts have commented on F shares. HSBC raised their price target on Ford Motor from $9.80 to $12.80 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, January 13th. Evercore lifted their target price on Ford Motor from $12.00 to $14.00 and gave the company an "in-line" rating in a research note on Monday, December 22nd. Morgan Stanley boosted their price target on Ford Motor from $11.00 to $14.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a report on Monday, December 8th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "buy (b-)" rating on shares of Ford Motor in a report on Monday, December 22nd. Finally, Zacks Research raised shares of Ford Motor from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Monday, January 12th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have given a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Ford Motor presently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $13.02.

Ford Motor Price Performance

The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $13.68 and a 200 day simple moving average of $12.80. The company has a market cap of $56.59 billion, a PE ratio of -6.89, a P/E/G ratio of 0.34 and a beta of 1.66. The company has a quick ratio of 0.94, a current ratio of 1.07 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.95.

Ford Motor (NYSE:F - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 11th. The auto manufacturer reported $0.13 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.06 by $0.07. The firm had revenue of $45.89 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $41.78 billion. Ford Motor had a negative net margin of 4.37% and a positive return on equity of 10.16%. Ford Motor's revenue was down 4.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $0.39 EPS. Equities analysts expect that Ford Motor Company will post 1.47 EPS for the current year.

Ford Motor Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 2nd. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 13th will be paid a $0.15 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 13th. This represents a $0.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.2%. Ford Motor's payout ratio is presently -29.13%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Ford Motor

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Caxton Associates LLP acquired a new position in shares of Ford Motor in the first quarter valued at approximately $304,000. Empowered Funds LLC grew 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 worth $1,482,000 after acquiring an additional 43,385 shares in the last quarter. Ethic Inc. increased its position in shares of Ford Motor by 30.8% during the second quarter. Ethic Inc. now owns 64,566 shares of the auto manufacturer's stock worth $697,000 after acquiring an additional 15,216 shares during the period. Carnegie Investment Counsel increased its position in shares of Ford Motor by 45.5% during the second quarter. Carnegie Investment Counsel now owns 43,424 shares of the auto manufacturer's stock worth $471,000 after acquiring an additional 13,581 shares during the period. Finally, AlphaQuest LLC raised its stake in shares of Ford Motor by 1,018.5% in the second quarter. AlphaQuest LLC now owns 3,087 shares of the auto manufacturer's stock valued at $33,000 after acquiring an additional 2,811 shares in the last quarter. 58.74% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Ford Motor

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.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.