Ford Motor (NYSE:F) Trading 2.7% Higher – Here’s Why

Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F) shares traded up 2.7% during mid-day trading on Tuesday . The company traded as high as $11.59 and last traded at $11.5150. 38,116,581 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 42% from the average session volume of 65,760,438 shares. The stock had previously closed at $11.21.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts have recently commented on F shares. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Ford Motor in a report on Friday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on shares of Ford Motor from $14.00 to $15.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. Bank of America initiated coverage on shares of Ford Motor in a research note on Wednesday, March 4th. They set a “buy” rating and a $17.00 target price for the company. Royal Bank Of Canada reissued a “sector perform” rating and issued a $12.00 price target on shares of Ford Motor in a report on Wednesday, February 11th. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Ford Motor from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have issued a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $13.22.

Ford Motor Trading Up 2.7%

The business has a 50-day moving average price of $13.07 and a 200-day moving average price of $12.94. The company has a quick ratio of 0.94, a current ratio of 1.07 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.95. The firm has a market capitalization of $45.94 billion, a P/E ratio of -5.59, a PEG ratio of 0.26 and a beta of 1.65.

Ford Motor (NYSE:F) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, February 11th. The auto manufacturer reported $0.13 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.06 by $0.07. The firm had revenue of $45.89 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $41.78 billion. Ford Motor had a positive return on equity of 10.16% and a negative net margin of 4.37%.Ford Motor’s quarterly revenue was down 4.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business earned $0.39 earnings per share. Analysts anticipate that Ford Motor Company will post 1.47 earnings per share for the current year.

Ford Motor Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 2nd. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 13th were given a dividend of $0.15 per share. This represents a $0.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 5.2%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 13th. Ford Motor’s payout ratio is -29.13%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Ford Motor news, insider William Clay Ford, Jr. bought 140,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 19th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $13.82 per share, with a total value of $1,934,800.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the insider directly owned 3,912,600 shares in the company, valued at $54,072,132. The trade was a 3.71% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. 0.48% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Ford Motor

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in F. Norges Bank bought a new stake in Ford Motor in the fourth quarter valued at $674,437,000. DLD Asset Management LP acquired a new stake in shares of Ford Motor in the 3rd quarter valued at $299,000,000. Marshall Wace LLP boosted its stake in shares of Ford Motor by 712.7% in the 2nd quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 19,572,437 shares of the auto manufacturer’s stock valued at $212,361,000 after purchasing an additional 17,164,234 shares in the last quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Ford Motor by 610.1% in the 4th quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 11,177,304 shares of the auto manufacturer’s stock worth $146,646,000 after purchasing an additional 9,603,267 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Bank of New York Mellon Corp grew its holdings in shares of Ford Motor by 26.9% in the 4th quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 38,153,383 shares of the auto manufacturer’s stock worth $500,572,000 after purchasing an additional 8,086,564 shares during the last quarter. 58.74% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.