Ford Motor (NYSE:F) Stock Price Down 1.3% Following Analyst Downgrade

Key Points

• UBS cut its price target to $14, sending Ford shares down about 1.3% intraday with heightened volume (trading as low as $11.47), while the analyst consensus remains a "Hold" with an average target near $13.66.
• Ford reported a Q1 EPS beat and raised full-year guidance, helped by an approximately $1.3 billion tariff-refund benefit, but investors remain wary because the EV unit continues to lose money and rising material costs could pressure margins.
• Insider and shareholder actions: William Clay Ford, Jr. bought 140,000 shares (about $1.93M), and the company declared a $0.15 quarterly dividend (annualized yield ~5.0%).

Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F - Get Free Report) shares were down 1.3% on Thursday after UBS Group lowered their price target on the stock from $15.00 to $14.00. UBS Group currently has a buy rating on the stock. Ford Motor traded as low as $11.47 and last traded at $12.0850. Approximately 80,309,343 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 37% from the average daily volume of 58,829,918 shares. The stock had previously closed at $12.24.

Other analysts also recently issued reports about the stock. Weiss Ratings reissued a "buy (b)" rating on shares of Ford Motor in a report on Friday, March 27th. TD Cowen cut their price objective on shares of Ford Motor from $15.00 to $14.00 and set a "hold" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, April 15th. Barclays increased their target price on shares of Ford Motor from $12.00 to $13.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Friday, January 23rd. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their target price on Ford Motor from $11.00 to $10.00 and set an "underweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, March 31st. Finally, Bank of America began coverage on Ford Motor in a research note on Wednesday, March 4th. They set a "buy" rating and a $17.00 price target on the stock. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, ten have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $13.66.

Insider Transactions at Ford Motor

In other Ford Motor news, insider William Clay Ford, Jr. acquired 140,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 19th. The stock was 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 position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. 0.63% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Key Ford Motor News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 beat and lifted guidance — Ford posted a large Q1 EPS beat and raised full-year profit guidance (management pointed to Pro business strength and software growth as drivers), which supports valuation and forward earnings expectations. Ford tops Q1 profit forecasts and boosts outlook, but shares fall
• Positive Sentiment: Tariff refund materially lifted results — Ford booked an approximately $1.3 billion tariff-refund benefit that boosted quarterly profit and allowed management to raise annual guidance by ~$500M; this is a meaningful near-term cash/earnings tailwind. Ford books $1.3 billion tariff refund, lifting profits despite falling volumes
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst action — RBC raised its price target from $11 to $13 (now “sector perform”), a modest vote of confidence that implies upside from current levels and may provide support to the stock. Benzinga price-target note
• Positive Sentiment: Dividend maintained — Ford declared a $0.15 quarterly dividend, preserving yield for income investors and reducing downside risk from a policy shift. Ford Motor Company Board Declares Dividend for Second-Quarter 2026
• Neutral Sentiment: IR leadership change — Ford named Maria Ricciardone as chief investor relations officer (effective May 1). This is organizationally positive for communications but neutral for near-term fundamentals. Ford Appoints Maria Ricciardone Chief Investor Relations Officer
• Negative Sentiment: EV unit losses and one-time items dent confidence — Investors sold despite the beat, citing that much of the uplift came from the one-time tariff refund and that Ford’s EV unit continues to post losses and require investment, which raises questions about profit quality and sustainability. Ford shares fall as EV losses overshadow Q1 beat and raise
• Negative Sentiment: Rising materials and supply costs — Management warned about aluminum supply/cost pressures that could pressure margins for profitable models (e.g., F‑150), tempering the upgraded guidance's credibility. Ford raises profit outlook for 2026 despite nagging aluminum supply costs

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust raised its holdings in shares of Ford Motor by 7.4% in the 4th quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 10,999 shares of the auto manufacturer's stock worth $144,000 after buying an additional 756 shares in the last quarter. Robertson Stephens Wealth Management LLC boosted its stake in Ford Motor by 1.8% in the 4th quarter. Robertson Stephens Wealth Management LLC now owns 42,683 shares of the auto manufacturer's stock valued at $560,000 after buying an additional 761 shares in the last quarter. CRA Financial Services LLC grew its position in Ford Motor by 4.4% in the fourth quarter. CRA Financial Services LLC now owns 18,327 shares of the auto manufacturer's stock valued at $240,000 after acquiring an additional 775 shares during the period. Cary Street Partners Investment Advisory LLC grew its position in Ford Motor by 16.5% in the third quarter. Cary Street Partners Investment Advisory LLC now owns 5,470 shares of the auto manufacturer's stock valued at $65,000 after acquiring an additional 776 shares during the period. Finally, Cyndeo Wealth Partners LLC raised its stake in Ford Motor by 7.2% during the fourth quarter. Cyndeo Wealth Partners LLC now owns 11,697 shares of the auto manufacturer's stock worth $153,000 after acquiring an additional 784 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 58.74% of the company's stock.

Ford Motor Stock Performance

The company has a market capitalization of $48.21 billion, a P/E ratio of -5.87, a PEG ratio of 0.29 and a beta of 1.70. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $12.38 and a 200-day simple moving average of $12.98. 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 posted its earnings results on Wednesday, April 29th. The auto manufacturer reported $0.66 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.22 by $0.44. Ford Motor had a negative net margin of 4.37% and a positive return on equity of 10.16%. The business had revenue of $43.25 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $43.36 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.14 EPS. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 6.4% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts forecast that Ford Motor Company will post 1.49 EPS for the current year.

Ford Motor Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 1st. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, May 12th will be paid a $0.15 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, May 12th. This represents a $0.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.0%. Ford Motor's payout ratio is -29.13%.

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.

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