Ford Motor (NYSE:F) Trading 3.4% Higher - Still a Buy?

Key Points

• Ford shares rose 3.4% to about $14.36, trading above both their 50-day moving average of $14.19 and 200-day moving average of $13.49.
• Analyst sentiment has improved, with several firms upgrading Ford and raising price targets; however, the overall consensus remains “Hold”, with an average target of $15.68.
• Ford exceeded quarterly earnings and revenue expectations, reporting $0.42 in EPS and $48.30 billion in revenue, while maintaining a quarterly dividend of $0.15 per share, equating to a 4.2% yield.

Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F - Get Free Report)'s stock price shot up 3.4% during trading on Friday . The company traded as high as $14.44 and last traded at $14.3590. Approximately 49,414,080 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 18% from the average daily volume of 59,939,555 shares. The stock had previously closed at $13.89.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

F has been the topic of several recent research reports. Dbs Bank raised Ford Motor from a "hold" rating to a "moderate buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday. Jefferies Financial Group raised Ford Motor from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and boosted their price target for the stock from $14.50 to $17.50 in a research report on Monday, July 27th. DZ Bank upgraded Ford Motor from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating and set a $16.00 price objective for the company in a research note on Friday, July 31st. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "buy (b)" rating on shares of Ford Motor in a research report on Wednesday, June 24th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on shares of Ford Motor from $16.00 to $17.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 29th. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, ten have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $15.68.

Ford Motor Stock Performance

The business has a 50-day moving average price of $14.19 and a 200-day moving average price of $13.49. The company has a quick ratio of 0.93, a current ratio of 1.09 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.07. The firm has a market capitalization of $57.26 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -7.68, a P/E/G ratio of 0.29 and a beta of 1.82.

Ford Motor (NYSE:F - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 28th. The auto manufacturer reported $0.42 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.33 by $0.09. Ford Motor had a positive return on equity of 17.23% and a negative net margin of 3.93%.The firm had revenue of $48.30 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $47.24 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $0.37 EPS. The business's quarterly revenue was down 3.8% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Ford Motor Company will post 1.86 earnings per share for the current year.

Ford Motor Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 1st. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, August 11th will be issued a $0.15 dividend. This represents a $0.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, August 11th. Ford Motor's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently -32.09%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Ford Motor

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in Ford Motor in the 4th quarter worth $674,437,000. SBI Okasan Asset Management Co.Ltd. purchased a new position in Ford Motor during the fourth quarter valued at $1,769,000. TD Asset Management Inc lifted its holdings in Ford Motor by 11.0% during the fourth quarter. TD Asset Management Inc now owns 1,908,234 shares of the auto manufacturer's stock valued at $25,036,000 after purchasing an additional 189,310 shares in the last quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. grew its position in shares of Ford Motor by 2.4% in the fourth quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. now owns 4,345,131 shares of the auto manufacturer's stock valued at $57,008,000 after purchasing an additional 103,423 shares during the period. Finally, Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio grew its position in shares of Ford Motor by 22.4% in the first quarter. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio now owns 2,001,319 shares of the auto manufacturer's stock valued at $23,095,000 after purchasing an additional 366,218 shares during the period. 58.74% of the stock is 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.

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