Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F) saw a slight rise of 1.3% during Monday’s trading session, reaching a high of $10.14 before settling at $10.03. The trading volume was significantly lower than usual, with 46.3 million shares exchanged compared to the average session volume of 84.5 million.
Analyst Ratings and Price Targets
Ford has been the subject of several analyst reviews in recent months:
- TD Cowen initiated coverage with a hold rating and a $10.00 price target.
- Barclays downgraded Ford from overweight to equal weight, cutting the price target from $13.00 to $11.00.
- Jefferies Financial Group lowered its rating from hold to underperform with a new target price of $9.00.
- Evercore ISI reduced its price target from $11.00 to $10.00, maintaining an in-line rating.
- Wolfe Research reiterated an underperform rating.
Currently, the stock has a consensus rating of hold, with an average price target of $11.77, according to MarketBeat.
Ford’s Stock Performance
Ford’s stock has experienced fluctuations over the past months:
- 50-day moving average: $9.72
- 200-day moving average: $10.38
- Market capitalization: $39.54 billion
- Price-to-earnings ratio: 6.83
- Debt-to-equity ratio: 2.31
- Beta: 1.59 (indicating higher volatility than the market average)
Earnings Report and Dividend Update
Ford last reported earnings on February 5, delivering $0.39 per share, exceeding analyst expectations of $0.35. The company posted a return on equity of 16.88% and a net margin of 3.18%.
The auto giant also declared a quarterly dividend of $0.15 per share, yielding 6.02% annually. The dividend was paid on March 3 to shareholders of record as of February 18.
Institutional Investments in Ford
Hedge funds and institutional investors continue adjusting their positions:
- Franklin Resources Inc. increased its stake by 29.8%, now holding 1.46 million shares.
- Principal Financial Group Inc. raised its holdings by 3.8%, owning 4.39 million shares.
- NCP Inc. boosted its position by 62%, now holding 74,520 shares.
- Alberta Investment Management Corp. nearly doubled its stake in Ford, adding 91,300 shares in Q4.
Currently, institutional investors own approximately 58.74% of Ford’s outstanding shares.
Final Thoughts
Despite analyst downgrades and market fluctuations, Ford remains a key player in the auto industry. With strong institutional backing and a high dividend yield, investors continue to monitor the stock for potential growth opportunities.
