Ford Motor (NYSE:F) Shares Up 7.9% - Here's Why

Key Points

• Ford Motor shares jumped 7.9% as investors piled into the stock on growing optimism around its new energy-storage business, which some analysts see as a potential long-term profit driver.
• Momentum accelerated after Morgan Stanley’s comments on Ford’s energy-storage strategy, with the stock drawing strong trader interest and even being described by some reports as a “meme” or AI-style trade.
• Analysts remain cautious overall: Morgan Stanley kept an equal-weight rating with a $14 price target, while Ford’s broader consensus rating is still “Hold” with an average target of $13.56, even after the recent rally.

Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F - Get Free Report) shot up 7.9% on Thursday . The company traded as high as $14.40 and last traded at $14.6440. 35,024,582 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 41% from the average session volume of 59,024,801 shares. The stock had previously closed at $13.57.

Trending Headlines about Ford Motor

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

• Positive Sentiment: Investor enthusiasm is building around Ford’s energy storage business, which analysts say could become a meaningful long-term profit driver for Ford Motor Company (F). Reuters article on Ford stock surging on energy storage optimism
• Positive Sentiment: Ford’s rally accelerated after Morgan Stanley highlighted details of the company’s energy-storage strategy, helping make F one of the strongest names in the S&P 500. Invezz article on Ford being a top performer
• Positive Sentiment: Shares continued climbing as traders and momentum investors chased the move higher, with some reports framing Ford Motor Company (F) as a potential “AI/meme” style trade tied to the energy pivot. CNBC article on Ford surging in two days
• Neutral Sentiment: Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an equal weight rating and set a $14 price target, which is below where the stock has recently traded; that suggests some analysts remain cautious even as the shares run higher. Benzinga article on the rally

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Citigroup cut their target price on shares of Ford Motor from $13.50 to $13.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research note on Monday, May 4th. Weiss Ratings reissued a "buy (b)" rating on shares of Ford Motor in a research note on Friday, March 27th. TD Cowen dropped their target price on Ford Motor from $14.00 to $13.00 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Bank of America assumed coverage on shares of Ford Motor in a report on Wednesday, March 4th. They issued a "buy" rating and a $17.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Morgan Stanley restated an "equal weight" rating and set a $14.00 price target on shares of Ford Motor in a research report on Wednesday. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, ten have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Ford Motor presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $13.56.

Ford Motor Trading Up 6.2%

The stock's 50 day moving average is $12.11 and its 200-day moving average is $13.01. The company has a current ratio of 1.09, a quick ratio of 0.94 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.84. The company has a market cap of $57.40 billion, a P/E ratio of -9.33, a PEG ratio of 0.27 and a beta of 1.65.

Ford Motor (NYSE:F - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 29th. The auto manufacturer reported $0.66 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.18 by $0.48. Ford Motor had a positive return on equity of 15.77% and a negative net margin of 3.22%.The company had revenue of $43.25 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $42.66 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $0.14 earnings per share. Ford Motor's revenue was up 6.4% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts anticipate that Ford Motor Company will post 1.58 earnings per share 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 given a dividend of $0.15 per share. This represents a $0.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.2%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, May 12th. Ford Motor's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is -38.71%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Ford Motor

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

Institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Grove Bank & Trust grew its stake in Ford Motor by 110.7% in the fourth quarter. Grove Bank & Trust now owns 1,903 shares of the auto manufacturer's stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 1,000 shares during the last quarter. MV Capital Management Inc. acquired a new stake in Ford Motor in the fourth quarter worth about $25,000. McMillan Office Inc. acquired a new stake in Ford Motor in the fourth quarter worth about $26,000. Olistico Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in Ford Motor in the fourth quarter worth about $26,000. Finally, Murphy Middleton Hinkle & Parker Inc. acquired a new stake in Ford Motor in the fourth quarter worth about $29,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 58.74% 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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