Ford Motor (NYSE:F) Shares Up 4% – Here’s What Happened

Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F)’s stock price traded up 4% during trading on Wednesday . The stock traded as high as $14.50 and last traded at $14.4850. 50,445,723 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 15% from the average daily volume of 59,526,926 shares. The stock had previously closed at $13.93.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have issued reports on F. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on Ford Motor from $16.00 to $17.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 29th. Bank of America raised their price objective on Ford Motor from $17.00 to $20.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, May 29th. Jefferies Financial Group raised Ford Motor from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and lifted their price objective for the company from $14.50 to $17.50 in a research report on Monday, July 27th. Citigroup raised shares of Ford Motor from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and increased their target price for the stock from $19.00 to $20.00 in a report on Wednesday, July 29th. Finally, DZ Bank raised shares of Ford Motor from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating and set a $16.00 price target on the stock in a report on Friday, July 31st. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, ten have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $15.68.

Ford Motor Stock Performance

The business’s fifty day moving average is $14.13 and its two-hundred day moving average is $13.50. The stock has a market capitalization of $57.58 billion, a PE ratio of -7.72, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.30 and a beta of 1.82. The company has a quick ratio of 0.93, a current ratio of 1.09 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.07.

Ford Motor (NYSE:F) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 28th. The auto manufacturer reported $0.42 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.33 by $0.09. Ford Motor had a negative net margin of 3.93% and a positive return on equity of 17.23%. The company had revenue of $48.30 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $47.24 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.37 earnings per share. Ford Motor’s revenue was down 3.8% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Ford Motor Company will post 1.86 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Ford Motor Dividend Announcement

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

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Ford Motor

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Maripau Wealth Management LLC raised its holdings in Ford Motor by 1.6% during the first quarter. Maripau Wealth Management LLC now owns 46,606 shares of the auto manufacturer’s stock worth $538,000 after buying an additional 749 shares during the last quarter. Wayfinding Financial LLC grew its holdings in shares of Ford Motor by 5.8% during the second quarter. Wayfinding Financial LLC now owns 13,652 shares of the auto manufacturer’s stock valued at $189,000 after buying an additional 754 shares during the last quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust grew its holdings in shares of Ford Motor by 7.4% during the fourth quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 10,999 shares of the auto manufacturer’s stock valued at $144,000 after buying an additional 756 shares during the last quarter. Robertson Stephens Wealth Management LLC increased its position in shares of Ford Motor by 1.8% during the fourth quarter. Robertson Stephens Wealth Management LLC now owns 42,683 shares of the auto manufacturer’s stock worth $560,000 after acquiring an additional 761 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Southern Financial Group LLC increased its position in shares of Ford Motor by 2.3% during the first quarter. Southern Financial Group LLC now owns 34,714 shares of the auto manufacturer’s stock worth $401,000 after acquiring an additional 776 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.