Ford Motor (NYSE:F) Trading Up 1.5% – Here’s Why

Ford Motor (NYSE:F)’s share price rose 1.5% on Thursday . The company traded as high as $9.41 and last traded at $9.37. Approximately 24,095,253 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 69% from the average daily volume of 77,038,133 shares. The stock had previously closed at $9.23.

Analyst Ratings Changes

F has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. BNP Paribas upgraded Ford Motor to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price objective on Ford Motor from $14.00 to $13.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Friday, February 7th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft cut their price target on Ford Motor from $11.00 to $10.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, October 30th. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price target on Ford Motor from $9.00 to $8.00 and set an “underweight” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, February 6th. Finally, Wolfe Research reiterated an “underperform” rating on shares of Ford Motor in a research note on Thursday, December 5th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have assigned a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Ford Motor currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $11.89.

Ford Motor Trading Up 1.1 %

The company has a market capitalization of $37.10 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 6.39, a PEG ratio of 1.80 and a beta of 1.63. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $9.97 and a 200-day moving average price of $10.49. The company has a current ratio of 1.16, a quick ratio of 0.98 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.31.

Ford Motor (NYSE:F) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 5th. The auto manufacturer reported $0.39 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.35 by $0.04. Ford Motor had a return on equity of 16.88% and a net margin of 3.18%. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Ford Motor will post 1.7 EPS for the current year.

Ford Motor Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 3rd. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, February 18th will be paid a $0.15 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, February 18th. This represents a $0.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 6.43%. Ford Motor’s payout ratio is presently 41.10%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Ford Motor

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Treasurer of the State of North Carolina increased its stake in Ford Motor by 1.9% during the fourth quarter. Treasurer of the State of North Carolina now owns 1,767,318 shares of the auto manufacturer’s stock valued at $17,496,000 after acquiring an additional 33,200 shares during the period. F M Investments LLC boosted its holdings in Ford Motor by 20.4% during the fourth quarter. F M Investments LLC now owns 125,568 shares of the auto manufacturer’s stock valued at $1,243,000 after purchasing an additional 21,288 shares in the last quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Ford Motor by 37.0% in the 4th quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 37,414 shares of the auto manufacturer’s stock worth $370,000 after acquiring an additional 10,095 shares in the last quarter. APG Asset Management N.V. acquired a new position in Ford Motor during the 4th quarter worth $20,408,000. Finally, Bernard Wealth Management Corp. bought a new stake in shares of Ford Motor during the 4th quarter valued at $98,000. 58.74% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Ford Motor Company Profile

Ford Motor Company develops, delivers, and services a range of Ford trucks, commercial cars and vans, sport utility vehicles, and Lincoln luxury vehicles worldwide. It operates through Ford Blue, Ford Model e, and Ford Pro; Ford Next; and Ford Credit segments. The company sells Ford and Lincoln vehicles, service parts, and accessories through distributors and dealers, as well as through dealerships to commercial fleet customers, daily rental car companies, and governments.