KBC Group NV Grows Stock Position in Ford Motor Company $F

KBC Group NV grew its stake in Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F) by 223.5% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 2,229,629 shares of the auto manufacturer’s stock after buying an additional 1,540,403 shares during the quarter. KBC Group NV’s holdings in Ford Motor were worth $25,729,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its holdings in Ford Motor by 0.9% in 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 acquiring an additional 4,087,699 shares during the period. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. grew its stake in shares of Ford Motor by 2.8% during the 4th quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 152,017,084 shares of the auto manufacturer’s stock worth $1,994,464,000 after purchasing an additional 4,089,779 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Ford Motor by 1.2% during the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 106,600,353 shares of the auto manufacturer’s stock worth $1,394,697,000 after purchasing an additional 1,255,349 shares during the period. Norges Bank purchased a new position in shares of Ford Motor during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $674,437,000. Finally, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP increased its holdings in shares of Ford Motor by 0.3% during the 4th quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 45,857,344 shares of the auto manufacturer’s stock valued at $601,687,000 after purchasing an additional 125,534 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 58.74% of the company’s stock.

Ford Motor Price Performance

Shares of NYSE F opened at $14.28 on Wednesday. The firm has a market cap of $56.88 billion, a PE ratio of -9.21, a PEG ratio of 0.31 and a beta of 1.82. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $14.38 and a 200 day moving average of $13.42. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.84, a quick ratio of 0.94 and a current ratio of 1.09. Ford Motor Company has a one year low of $10.68 and a one year high of $17.78.

Ford Motor (NYSE:F) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 29th. The auto manufacturer reported $0.66 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.18 by $0.48. The company had revenue of $43.25 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $42.66 billion. Ford Motor had a negative net margin of 3.22% and a positive return on equity of 15.77%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $0.14 earnings per share. As a group, research analysts predict that Ford Motor Company will post 1.66 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Ford Motor Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, June 1st. Investors of record on Tuesday, May 12th were 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 was Tuesday, May 12th. Ford Motor’s dividend payout ratio is -38.71%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts recently issued reports on the stock. UBS Group increased their price target on shares of Ford Motor from $14.00 to $17.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, June 8th. Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an “equal weight” rating and issued a $14.00 price objective on shares of Ford Motor in a report on Wednesday, May 13th. BNP Paribas Exane increased their target price on shares of Ford Motor from $13.00 to $14.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 14th. Barclays raised their target price on Ford Motor from $13.00 to $14.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Thursday, July 9th. Finally, Zacks Research upgraded Ford Motor from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Monday, July 6th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have given a Buy rating, ten have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $14.79.

Key Ford Motor News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Ford is expected to report second-quarter results soon, and some analysts think the company has a good chance to beat earnings estimates, which is supporting the shares. Ford Motor Company (F) Expected to Beat Earnings Estimates: Should You Buy?
• Positive Sentiment: Ford’s commercial business and software subscriptions are being highlighted as offsetting some of the pressure from weaker U.S. sales and EV losses, which could help results. Ford Gears Up to Report Q2 Earnings: Here’s What to Expect
• Positive Sentiment: Ford joined BlackRock, Carhartt, and Google in a new workforce-training alliance, a move that could strengthen its brand and support long-term talent development. BlackRock, Carhartt, Ford and Google Launch New Alliance to Expand Skilled Workforce Training
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent media coverage about alleged worker theft and firings at Ford plants is likely a reputation issue, but it does not appear material enough on its own to drive the stock.
• Neutral Sentiment: Broader auto-brand commentary in the news mainly focused on Chrysler being ranked poorly; it does not directly affect Ford’s fundamentals.

Ford Motor 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.