Track market-moving stories before they get noisy

Ford's trailing earnings show a loss of nearly two dollars per share, yet the automaker keeps writing dividend checks and even raised its forward cash flow guidance. Before assuming the payout is doomed, look at what actually drove those losses.

Ford (NYSE:F | F Price Prediction) pays a 4.94% dividend yield on a $0.60 annual payout, while its trailing EPS is -1.88. Shares trade at $11.56. The stock is down 8.87% year to date and 11.76% over the past month. That leaves income investors asking whether the losses put the dividend at risk.

Write-Downs Drive the Losses While Trucks Drive the Cash
Special charges drive the red ink. Ford posted a $1.3 billion net loss in the second quarter, mostly from a charge linked to selling off its BlueOval SK battery joint venture. CFO Sherry House explained it on the earnings call:

“We recognized a one-time special item charge of $3.6 billion, of which approximately $500 million was cash.”

In the same quarter, Ford generated $2.5 billion in adjusted EBIT and $2.1 billion in adjusted free cash flow. Full-year 2025 shows the same split. Ford lost $8.162 billion on paper but produced $21.282 billion in operating cash flow. That easily funded $8.815 billion of capital spending and $2.989 billion in dividends.

Cash Flow Covers the Dividend Nearly Three Times Over
Ford raised its 2026 adjusted free cash flow guidance to $6 billion to $7 billion. The regular dividend costs about $2.35 billion a year, so the guidance covers it roughly 2.6 to 3.0 times. Ford also held $22.3 billion in cash and $43.4 billion in total liquidity. House said:

“We remain committed to our investment grade rating and returning capital to shareholders.”

Ford Credit, the company’s lending arm, adds more support. It made $757 million before taxes, up $112 million, and full-year pretax earnings are expected to top $2.5 billion. On the risk side, debt-to-equity stands at 4.66, Model e is headed for a loss of about $4 billion, and the Novelis aluminum disruption will cost about $1.5 billion.

Ford Has Cut the Dividend When Cornered
Ford paid $0.15 through its January 2020 ex-dividend date and then paid nothing until November 2021. It returned to $0.10 and rose to $0.15 in August 2022. In strong years, Ford added extra payouts. Its first-quarter dividend was $0.33 in 2024 and $0.30 in 2025. In 2026, the February payment was the regular $0.15.

GM Pays Less in Dividends but Buys Back More Stock
General Motors (NYSE:GM) raised its quarterly dividend 20% to $0.18 and approved a $20 billion buyback, yet it yields under 1%. Stellantis (NYSE:STLA) suspended its 2026 dividend after its net cash turned into €6.7 billion in industrial net debt. CEO Antonio Filosa blamed “the cost of overestimating the pace of the energy transition.” Ford falls in between. Its yield is far higher than GM’s, and its cash flow is much stronger than Stellantis’s.

What Ford’s Next Earnings Report Needs to Show
Ford reports third-quarter results on October 28, a date the company has not yet confirmed. Investors should look for four things: a reaffirmed $6 billion to $7 billion free cash flow target, a recovery in Super Duty orders, Model e losses staying on track, and progress on the remaining cash charges of up to $2 billion. The outlook for 2027 is still unclear. On whether profits will rise next year, House said, “It is too early to say at this point.”

Verdict: The $0.15 regular dividend looks well funded for 2026. The stock still has the risks of a cyclical, heavily indebted automaker, and additional payouts remain uncertain.

Contact [email protected] for any questions or corrections.

In its upcoming report, Ford Motor Company (F - Free Report) is predicted by Wall Street analysts to post quarterly earnings of $0.39 per share, reflecting a decline of 13.3% compared to the same period last year. Revenues are forecasted to be $45.67 billion, representing a year-over-year decrease of 3.2%.

The consensus EPS estimate for the quarter has undergone an upward revision of 8.8% in the past 30 days, bringing it to its present level. This represents how the covering analysts, as a whole, have reassessed their initial estimates during this timeframe.

Prior to a company's earnings announcement, it is crucial to consider revisions to earnings estimates. This serves as a significant indicator for predicting potential investor actions regarding the stock. Empirical research has consistently demonstrated a robust correlation between trends in earnings estimate revision and the short-term price performance of a stock.

While investors usually depend on consensus earnings and revenue estimates to assess the business performance for the quarter, delving into analysts' forecasts for certain key metrics often provides a more comprehensive understanding.

That said, let's delve into the average estimates of some Ford Motor metrics that Wall Street analysts commonly model and monitor.

Based on the collective assessment of analysts, 'Revenues- Ford Pro' should arrive at $17.56 billion. The estimate indicates a year-over-year change of +1%.

The consensus estimate for 'Revenues- Ford Credit' stands at $3.35 billion. The estimate points to a change of +0.1% from the year-ago quarter.

The consensus among analysts is that 'Revenues- External Revenues- Ford Blue' will reach $26.30 billion. The estimate indicates a year-over-year change of -6.1%.

Analysts predict that the 'Revenues- External Revenues- Ford Model e' will reach $1.25 billion. The estimate points to a change of -29.9% from the year-ago quarter.

The collective assessment of analysts points to an estimated 'Wholesale Units - Ford Pro' of 381.79 thousand. The estimate is in contrast to the year-ago figure of 373.00 thousand.

According to the collective judgment of analysts, 'Wholesale Units - Ford Blue' should come in at 679.71 thousand. Compared to the current estimate, the company reported 733.00 thousand in the same quarter of the previous year.

It is projected by analysts that the 'Wholesale Units - Ford Model e' will reach 35.21 thousand. The estimate compares to the year-ago value of 50.00 thousand.

Analysts expect 'Adjusted EBIT- Ford Pro' to come in at $1.81 billion. The estimate is in contrast to the year-ago figure of $1.99 billion.

The average prediction of analysts places 'Adjusted EBIT- Ford Credit' at $592.37 million. The estimate is in contrast to the year-ago figure of $631.00 million.

Analysts' assessment points toward 'Adjusted EBIT- Ford Blue' reaching $1.28 billion. The estimate is in contrast to the year-ago figure of $1.54 billion.

View all Key Company Metrics for Ford Motor here>>>

Shares of Ford Motor have demonstrated returns of -5.2% over the past month compared to the Zacks S&P 500 composite's -1.2% change. With a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell), F is expected to lag the overall market performance in the near future. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) stocks here >>>> .

About a year ago, Ford Motor Company (F -2.06%) made an intriguing move by partnering with online retailer juggernaut Amazon (AMZN -0.10%) that many investors overlooked. That was when Ford announced it would sell Ford Blue Advantage vehicles, or certified pre-owned (CPO) vehicles, on Amazon Autos.

Let's peel back the outer layers of this move, which has helped boost Ford's CPO sales by 44% during the third quarter and surpassed Toyota's (TM -0.85%) volume for the first time. Here's exactly why Ford's expanding CPO sales is a great thing for long-term investors.

Image source: Ford Motor Company.

Pedal to the metal
Ford is well on its way to topping its 500,000 CPO sales target for 2027, which will likely remove Toyota from its spot as the industry's top certified seller. Better still, Ford's impressive 44% gain in CPO sales during Q3 comes with the industry's CPO sales declining 2.5% through August, according to Automotive News Data Center. This is all great news, but let's explain exactly how and why this is great news for long-term investors.

Ford launched its dealer-led CPO program, Ford Blue Advantage, in 2021. About 70% of Ford's 2,800 U.S. dealerships participate in the program, which also launched a similar program for Ford Pro commercial vehicles. What's interesting about Ford's CPO business is that when consumers buy a non-certified used vehicle, they return to the manufacturer only about 30% of the time. When that sale is for a certified vehicle, the consumer remains loyal and returns to the brand more than half the time.

"The biggest part that I press on our dealers of why it's important to certify the vehicles is that connectivity back to the brand," according to Rob Kaffl, Ford's director of U.S. sales and dealer relations. "You have an audience that we can now market to moving forward for a new vehicle or any of our other services."

Why CPO sales are important
Another big part of the CPO business for Ford is that after discontinuing the Escape and Lincoln Corsair last year, it has fewer entry-level options for consumers. CPO sales help the Detroit automaker fill this void for budget-conscious buyers and gives Ford another way for its dealers to retain and attract consumers.

F Ford Motor Company$11.90-$0.25 (-2.06%)

NYSE · As of 4:00 PM ET 10/21/26

CPO sales can also move the needle for Ford's overall sales, as it has started giving dealers certificates for each sale through its Ford Blue Advantage program, which effectively serves as an incentive to help lower new-vehicle prices. Ford's CPO sales have grown 96% since beginning in 2021 and are on pace to double its first six months of 2026 CPO sales during the second half of the year.

Investors shouldn't underestimate the importance of Ford's expanding CPO program because consumer loyalty in the automotive industry is incredibly powerful and "conquesting" consumers from a rival brand can be costly. Increasing loyalty, filling the void of entry-level options, and creating a new car sales pipeline through dealer certificates and incentives can move the needle for new vehicle purchases. All in all, if Ford executes and indeed surpasses Toyota in CPO sales next year, it's just one more reason to believe Ford is still turning into a well-rounded business for long-term investors.

Ford Motor Company (F - Free Report) ended the recent trading session at $12.19, demonstrating a -1.97% change from the preceding day's closing price. This move lagged the S&P 500's daily gain of 0.41%. At the same time, the Dow lost 0.07%, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq gained 1.11%.

Coming into today, shares of the company had lost 5.9% in the past month. In that same time, the Auto-Tires-Trucks sector lost 1.74%, while the S&P 500 gained 1.46%.

Investors will be eagerly watching for the performance of Ford Motor Company in its upcoming earnings disclosure. The company's earnings report is set to be unveiled on October 28, 2026. The company is expected to report EPS of $0.39, down 13.33% from the prior-year quarter. Simultaneously, our latest consensus estimate expects the revenue to be $46.5 billion, showing a 1.46% drop compared to the year-ago quarter.

For the full year, the Zacks Consensus Estimates project earnings of $1.86 per share and a revenue of $175.54 billion, demonstrating changes of +70.64% and +0.86%, respectively, from the preceding year.

Any recent changes to analyst estimates for Ford Motor Company should also be noted by investors. These revisions typically reflect the latest short-term business trends, which can change frequently. With this in mind, we can consider positive estimate revisions a sign of optimism about the business outlook.

Our research demonstrates that these adjustments in estimates directly associate with imminent stock price performance. To take advantage of this, we've established the Zacks Rank, an exclusive model that considers these estimated changes and delivers an operational rating system.

The Zacks Rank system, spanning from #1 (Strong Buy) to #5 (Strong Sell), boasts an impressive track record of outperformance, audited externally, with #1 ranked stocks yielding an average annual return of +25% since 1988. Within the past 30 days, our consensus EPS projection has moved 0.13% higher. Ford Motor Company is holding a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold) right now.

Looking at valuation, Ford Motor Company is presently trading at a Forward P/E ratio of 6.69. This valuation marks a discount compared to its industry average Forward P/E of 16.15.

It's also important to note that F currently trades at a PEG ratio of 0.25. This metric is used similarly to the famous P/E ratio, but the PEG ratio also takes into account the stock's expected earnings growth rate. As the market closed yesterday, the Automotive - Domestic industry was having an average PEG ratio of 0.97.

The Automotive - Domestic industry is part of the Auto-Tires-Trucks sector. At present, this industry carries a Zacks Industry Rank of 157, placing it within the bottom 37% of over 250 industries.

The Zacks Industry Rank gauges the strength of our industry groups by measuring the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks within the groups. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1.

You can find more information on all of these metrics, and much more, on Zacks.com.

A clerk in a Detroit coal office scraped together borrowed money to buy into a cash-strapped car company that once had $223 in the bank. What happened to the $100 his sister lent him would take sixteen years to become…

In Detroit in 1903, James Couzens worked as a clerk in Alexander Malcomson’s coal business. When Malcomson backed a new car company built around Henry Ford’s designs, Couzens wanted a piece of it. He borrowed to buy in, and part of that money came from his sister, Rosetta, who lent him $100. The company was Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F | F Price Prediction).

A Car Company Running on Almost No Cash Ford Motor Company was incorporated on June 16, 1903. Its checking account opened on June 26, 1903 with $14,500. The original investors were expected to contribute $100,000. Only a few paid in full, and others signed promissory notes for the rest. Henry Ford and Malcomson put in no cash. Each was credited with $25,500 for plans, machinery, patents and prior work.

The company’s 1903 checkbook, now held by The Henry Ford museum, was kept by Couzens himself, and it shows how fast the money moved. The first check, for $10,000, reimbursed Malcomson for money he had paid to the Dodge brothers’ machine shop. By July 10, after 60 checks, the balance was at $223.65. On July 15 the company recorded its first sale: $850 from Dr. E. Pfennig, paid through a Chicago bank.

A $100 Loan Inside a $2,500 Stake Couzens invested $2,500, partly with borrowed money. Of that, Rosetta lent him $100, a sum The Henry Ford museum describes as “half her life savings.”

Couzens was born in Chatham, Ontario, in 1872 and moved to Detroit in 1890. At Ford he became secretary and business manager at a salary of $2,400 a year, later rose in the company, and resigned in 1915 at age 43.

What the 1919 Buyout Paid Out In 1919, Henry Ford, who already held 11,700 shares, bought out the minority shareholders and their 8,300 shares. Couzens received $29,308,857.90, according to The Henry Ford. Wikipedia, MotorCities and the Detroit Historical Society round that to about $30 million.

The 1919 stockholders list shows 20 shares held in the name of Rosetta Couzens Hauss within her brother’s holding. She received $262,036.67, per The Henry Ford. That is the “stake” in the headline: the portion of Couzens’s holding that her loan helped fund. The record shows the shares in her name and the sum paid for them, and ends there.

Who Sold Early and Who Held Other early backers took different paths. Vernon Fry put in $5,000 and sold to Ford in 1907 for $25,000. Charles Woodall, Malcomson’s bookkeeper, put in $1,000 and sold in 1906 for $5,000. John Anderson and Horace Rackham each put in $5,000 and held. When they sold in 1919, each received $12,500,000.

None of those results could be sorted in advance. A company whose bank balance fell to $223.65 within weeks of opening gave no one a clear view of what was coming. Selling for a gain in 1906 or 1907 was a reasonable decision at the time (we turned that kind of hindsight into a repeatable research practice in a free report on the winners most investors walked past).

Where Couzens’s Money Went Next Encyclopedia.com says Couzens was “reportedly worth” $40 to $60 million when he left Ford. He served as Mayor of Detroit from 1919 to 1922 and as a US Senator from 1922 to 1936. In 1929 he founded the Children’s Fund of Michigan with an irrevocable gift of $10 million and added nearly $2 million in 1934. His charitable giving amounted about $30 million, per Encyclopedia.com. He died on October 22, 1936.

Rosetta’s $100, Sixteen Years Later The biggest numbers in this story belong to Henry Ford and to Rosetta’s brother. The smallest one is hers. In 1903 she lent her brother $100 to help him buy into a car company that was spending cash as fast as it came in. 16 years later, the 20 shares in her name were bought out for $262,036.67. The record does not say what she expected, and nothing in it suggests anyone could have known.

Contact [email protected] for any questions or corrections.

Counterpoint Mutual Funds LLC raised its holdings in Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F – Free Report) by 3,191.5% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 752,443 shares of the auto manufacturer’s stock after purchasing an additional 729,583 shares during the period. Counterpoint Mutual Funds LLC’s holdings in Ford Motor were worth $9,074,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the business. Avail Investment Partners LLC boosted its holdings in Ford Motor by 19.4% in the 3rd quarter. Avail Investment Partners LLC now owns 22,720 shares of the auto manufacturer’s stock valued at $274,000 after purchasing an additional 3,692 shares during the period. RKL Wealth Management LLC raised its position in Ford Motor by 4.5% in the 3rd quarter. RKL Wealth Management LLC now owns 36,049 shares of the auto manufacturer’s stock worth $435,000 after purchasing an additional 1,539 shares during the period. Vontobel Holding Ltd. increased its holdings in shares of Ford Motor by 31.3% in the third quarter. Vontobel Holding Ltd. now owns 221,751 shares of the auto manufacturer’s stock worth $2,674,000 after buying an additional 52,821 shares during the period. TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. increased its stake in Ford Motor by 21.3% in the 3rd quarter. TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. now owns 96,924 shares of the auto manufacturer’s stock worth $1,190,000 after purchasing an additional 16,994 shares during the period. Finally, ARS Wealth Advisors Group LLC purchased a new stake in Ford Motor during the 3rd quarter valued at $125,000. 58.74% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Ford Motor Trading Up 1.1% Shares of Ford Motor stock opened at $12.45 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.07, a quick ratio of 0.93 and a current ratio of 1.09. The company has a fifty day moving average of $13.33 and a 200 day moving average of $13.56. The company has a market capitalization of $49.63 billion, a P/E ratio of -6.66, a P/E/G ratio of 0.25 and a beta of 1.93. Ford Motor Company has a fifty-two week low of $11.11 and a fifty-two week high of $17.78.

Ford Motor (NYSE:F – Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, July 28th. The auto manufacturer reported $0.42 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate 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 firm had revenue of $48.30 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $47.24 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $0.37 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was down 3.8% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Ford Motor Company will post 1.86 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Ford Motor Announces Dividend The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, September 1st. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, August 11th were issued a dividend of $0.15 per share. This represents a $0.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.8%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, August 11th. Ford Motor’s dividend payout ratio is presently -32.09%.

Analyst Ratings Changes A number of research analysts have issued reports on the stock. Citigroup raised shares of Ford Motor from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and boosted their price objective for the company from $19.00 to $20.00 in a research report on Wednesday, July 29th. TD Cowen upped their price target on Ford Motor from $13.00 to $15.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 29th. Dbs Bank upgraded shares of Ford Motor from a “hold” rating to a “moderate buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 11th. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of Ford Motor from a “buy (b)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a research report on Friday, October 2nd. Finally, Wall Street Zen cut Ford Motor from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, August 1st. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $15.36.

Get Our Latest Stock Analysis on Ford Motor

Ford Motor Profile (Free Report)

Ford Motor Co is an American automobile manufacturer that designs, manufactures, markets and services a broad range of vehicles and mobility-related products. Its lineup includes cars, trucks, sport utility vehicles, commercial vehicles and electric vehicles sold under the Ford brand, as well as luxury vehicles marketed through its Lincoln brand.

Founded by Henry Ford in 1903 and headquartered in Dearborn, Michigan, Ford is one of the world’s oldest major automakers. The company helped popularize mass automobile production and continues to serve customers in North America, South America, Europe and other international markets through manufacturing, sales and distribution operations.

Ford organizes its operations around Ford Blue for gasoline and hybrid vehicles, Model e for electric vehicles, and Ford Pro for commercial customers and related services.

See Also Five stocks we like better than Ford Motor Rocket Lab’s Neutron Delay Leaves Wall Street Bullish But Raises the Stakes for 2027 ManpowerGroup Stock Sinks on Q3 Results, But Fundamentals Stay Solid Does the AI Selloff Put Alphabet’s Breakout in Doubt? Bank Earnings Are Mixed—These 2 ETFs Offer Very Different Paths to a Recovery

Receive News & Ratings for Ford Motor Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Ford Motor and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.

It doesn't matter your age or experience: taking full advantage of the stock market and investing with confidence are common goals for all investors. Luckily, Zacks Premium offers several different ways to do both.

The popular research service can help you become a smarter, more self-assured investor, giving you access to daily updates of the Zacks Rank and Zacks Industry Rank, the Zacks #1 Rank List, Equity Research reports, and Premium stock screens.

It also includes access to the Zacks Style Scores.

What are the Zacks Style Scores? Developed alongside the Zacks Rank, the Zacks Style Scores are a group of complementary indicators that help investors pick stocks with the best chances of beating the market over the next 30 days.

Based on their value, growth, and momentum characteristics, each stock is assigned a rating of A, B, C, D, or F. The better the score, the better chance the stock will outperform; an A is better than a B, a B is better than a C, and so on.

The Style Scores are broken down into four categories:

Value ScoreFor value investors, it's all about finding good stocks at good prices, and discovering which companies are trading under their true value before the broader market catches on. The Value Style Score utilizes ratios like P/E, PEG, Price/Sales, Price/Cash Flow, and a host of other multiples to help pick out the most attractive and discounted stocks.

Growth ScoreGrowth investors, on the other hand, are more concerned with a company's financial strength and health, and its future outlook. The Growth Style Score examines things like projected and historic earnings, sales, and cash flow to find stocks that will experience sustainable growth over time.

Momentum ScoreMomentum trading is all about taking advantage of upward or downward trends in a stock's price or earnings outlook, and these investors live by the saying "the trend is your friend." The Momentum Style Score can pinpoint good times to build a position in a stock, using factors like one-week price change and the monthly percentage change in earnings estimates.

VGM ScoreIf you like to use all three kinds of investing, then the VGM Score is for you. It's a combination of all Style Scores, and is an important indicator to use with the Zacks Rank. The VGM Score rates each stock on their shared weighted styles, narrowing down the companies with the most attractive value, best growth forecast, and most promising momentum.

How Style Scores Work with the Zacks Rank The Zacks Rank, which is a proprietary stock-rating model, employs earnings estimate revisions, or changes to a company's earnings expectations, to make building a winning portfolio easier.

It's highly successful, with #1 (Strong Buy) stocks producing an unmatched +23.82% average annual return since 1988. That's more than double the S&P 500. But because of the large number of stocks we rate, there are over 200 companies with a Strong Buy rank, plus another 600 with a #2 (Buy) rank, on any given day.

But it can feel overwhelming to pick the right stocks for you and your investing goals with over 800 top-rated stocks to choose from.

That's where the Style Scores come in.

To have the best chance of big returns, you'll want to always consider stocks with a Zacks Rank #1 or #2 that also have Style Scores of A or B, which will give you the highest probability of success. If you're looking at stocks with a #3 (Hold) rank, it's important they have Scores of A or B as well to ensure as much upside potential as possible.

As mentioned above, the Scores are designed to work with the Zacks Rank, so any change to a company's earnings outlook should be a deciding factor when picking which stocks to buy.

A stock with a #4 (Sell) or #5 (Strong Sell) rating, for instance, even one with Scores of A and B, will still have a declining earnings forecast, and a greater chance its share price will fall too.

Thus, the more stocks you own with a #1 or #2 Rank and Scores of A or B, the better.

Stock to Watch: Ford Motor Company (F - Free Report) Ford Motor Company, based in Dearborn, MI, is one of the world’s leading automakers. It manufactures, markets and services cars, trucks, sport utility vehicles, electrified vehicles and Lincoln luxury vehicles.

F is a #3 (Hold) on the Zacks Rank, with a VGM Score of A.

It also boasts a Value Style Score of A thanks to attractive valuation metrics like a forward P/E ratio of 6.62; value investors should take notice.

For fiscal 2026, one analyst revised their earnings estimate upwards in the last 60 days, and the Zacks Consensus Estimate has increased $0.00 to $1.86 per share. F boasts an average earnings surprise of +63%.

With a solid Zacks Rank and top-tier Value and VGM Style Scores, F should be on investors' short list.

Ford Motor Company (F - Free Report) is one of the stocks most watched by Zacks.com visitors lately. So, it might be a good idea to review some of the factors that might affect the near-term performance of the stock.

Over the past month, shares of this company have returned -10.4%, compared to the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +2.1% change. During this period, the Zacks Automotive - Domestic industry, which Ford Motor falls in, has gained 0.9%. The key question now is: What could be the stock's future direction?

Although media reports or rumors about a significant change in a company's business prospects usually cause its stock to trend and lead to an immediate price change, there are always certain fundamental factors that ultimately drive the buy-and-hold decision.

Revisions to Earnings EstimatesRather than focusing on anything else, we at Zacks prioritize evaluating the change in a company's earnings projection. This is because we believe the fair value for its stock is determined by the present value of its future stream of earnings.

Our analysis is essentially based on how sell-side analysts covering the stock are revising their earnings estimates to take the latest business trends into account. When earnings estimates for a company go up, the fair value for its stock goes up as well. And when a stock's fair value is higher than its current market price, investors tend to buy the stock, resulting in its price moving upward. Because of this, empirical studies indicate a strong correlation between trends in earnings estimate revisions and short-term stock price movements.

For the current quarter, Ford Motor is expected to post earnings of $0.39 per share, indicating a change of -13.3% from the year-ago quarter. The Zacks Consensus Estimate has changed +9.3% over the last 30 days.

The consensus earnings estimate of $1.86 for the current fiscal year indicates a year-over-year change of +70.6%. This estimate has changed +0.1% over the last 30 days.

For the next fiscal year, the consensus earnings estimate of $1.88 indicates a change of +1.3% from what Ford Motor is expected to report a year ago. Over the past month, the estimate has changed -2.8%.

Having a strong externally audited track record, our proprietary stock rating tool, the Zacks Rank, offers a more conclusive picture of a stock's price direction in the near term, since it effectively harnesses the power of earnings estimate revisions. Due to the size of the recent change in the consensus estimate, along with three other factors related to earnings estimates, Ford Motor is rated Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).

The chart below shows the evolution of the company's forward 12-month consensus EPS estimate:

12 Month EPS

Projected Revenue GrowthEven though a company's earnings growth is arguably the best indicator of its financial health, nothing much happens if it cannot raise its revenues. It's almost impossible for a company to grow its earnings without growing its revenue for long periods. Therefore, knowing a company's potential revenue growth is crucial.

For Ford Motor, the consensus sales estimate for the current quarter of $45.67 billion indicates a year-over-year change of -3.2%. For the current and next fiscal years, $175.54 billion and $176.58 billion estimates indicate +0.9% and +0.6% changes, respectively.

Last Reported Results and Surprise HistoryFord Motor reported revenues of $44.89 billion in the last reported quarter, representing a year-over-year change of -4.4%. EPS of $0.42 for the same period compares with $0.37 a year ago.

Compared to the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $45.72 billion, the reported revenues represent a surprise of -1.81%. The EPS surprise was +27.27%.

Over the last four quarters, Ford Motor surpassed consensus EPS estimates three times. The company topped consensus revenue estimates three times over this period.

ValuationNo investment decision can be efficient without considering a stock's valuation. Whether a stock's current price rightly reflects the intrinsic value of the underlying business and the company's growth prospects is an essential determinant of its future price performance.

While comparing the current values of a company's valuation multiples, such as price-to-earnings (P/E), price-to-sales (P/S), and price-to-cash flow (P/CF), with its own historical values helps determine whether its stock is fairly valued, overvalued, or undervalued, comparing the company relative to its peers on these parameters gives a good sense of the reasonability of the stock's price.

The Zacks Value Style Score (part of the Zacks Style Scores system), which pays close attention to both traditional and unconventional valuation metrics to grade stocks from A to F (an A is better than a B; a B is better than a C; and so on), is pretty helpful in identifying whether a stock is overvalued, rightly valued, or temporarily undervalued.

Ford Motor is graded A on this front, indicating that it is trading at a discount to its peers. Click here to see the values of some of the valuation metrics that have driven this grade.

ConclusionThe facts discussed here and much other information on Zacks.com might help determine whether or not it's worthwhile paying attention to the market buzz about Ford Motor. However, its Zacks Rank #3 does suggest that it may perform in line with the broader market in the near term.

Doug Field has worked on EVs at Ford and Tesla, the not-so-secret car project at Apple, and was employee No. 1 at Segway. Now, the executive is turning his attention to Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe’s latest project: Mind Robotics.

Field has been hired at president of Mind Robotics, an industrial AI and robotics venture that spun out of Rivian last year. The news, shared on stage at Disrupt 2026, is another sign that Mind Robotics is getting ready to scale up its early operations just one year after its founding.

Scaringe will still be involved with Mind Robotics, but the day-to-day aspects of the business, including product, engineering, and operations will be handled by Field.

Mind Robotics, which has already amassed more than $1 billion in backing from Accel, Andreessen Horowitz, Eclipse, Kleiner Perkins and the venture arms of Volkswagen and Salesforce, is building a full stack for industrial manufacturing. The purpose-built robots will run on foundation models with an goal of automating industrial and manufacturing tasks at scale.

Unlike the humanoid-like robots being developed by Tesla and others, Scaringe says Mind Robotics won’t attempt to mimic all the biomechanics of a human. The startup is also using Rivian as “a live, high-volume manufacturing environment for model training and deployment,” with Rivian being Mind Robotics’ first customer.

Scaringe said on the Disrupt stage Tuesday that he wanted someone like Field to help run Mind Robotics, and so he called him up to ask for a recommendation.

“Him and I then really began began digging into how important it is that we really think deeply and very intentionally about how we develop robotics and deploy robotics into our society, into our economy, and we found such alignment in how we thought about this from the overall mission of the business, but even more important, we found really deep alignment just in how we both work and how we build teams,” he said.

Field left Ford in April after five years shaping the automaker’s electric vehicle and technology strategies. His departure was part of a wider reorganization of the automaker’s leadership. Prior to Ford, Field led Apple’s Project Titan, the electric, autonomous car project that was canceled in 2024. He also served as senior vice president of engineering at Tesla, where he oversaw development of the Model 3 and got the sedan through “production hell.”

“Integrating AI and robotics is one of the most important–and difficult–engineering challenges of our time,” Field said in a statement. “Mind has assembled an exceptional team and has a unique advantage: the ability to deploy and learn inside a real, high-volume factory from day one. I’m thrilled to join RJ in building a team, culture, and technology that will redefine what we can make in America.”

Mind Robotics is the second company that Scaringe spun out of Rivian, following Also, a micromobility play that’s starting with high-end e-bikes. Like with Field and Mind Robotics, Scaringe is involved as chairman at Also but has tapped someone to run the day-to-tay: Chris Yu, the former chief product officer of Specialized.

Mind Robotics and Also operate as standalone companies, but Rivian has minority stakes in both. The company reported owning about a third of each startup as of June 30, 2026.

When you purchase through links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. This doesn’t affect our editorial independence.

Kirsten Korosec is a reporter and editor who has covered the future of transportation from EVs and autonomous vehicles to urban air mobility and in-car tech for more than a decade. She is currently the transportation editor at TechCrunch and co-host of TechCrunch’s Equity podcast. She is also co-founder and co-host of the podcast, “The Autonocast.” She previously wrote for Fortune, The Verge, Bloomberg, MIT Technology Review and CBS Interactive.

You can contact or verify outreach from Kirsten by emailing [email protected] or via encrypted message at kkorosec.07 on Signal.

Sean O’Kane is a reporter who has spent a decade covering the rapidly-evolving business and technology of the transportation industry, including Tesla and the many startups chasing Elon Musk. Most recently, he was a reporter at Bloomberg News where he helped break stories about some of the most notorious EV SPAC flops. He previously worked at The Verge, where he also covered consumer technology, hosted many short- and long-form videos, performed product and editorial photography, and once nearly passed out in a Red Bull Air Race plane.

You can contact or verify outreach from Sean by emailing [email protected] or via encrypted message at okane.01 on Signal.

Four household names are paying dividend yields above 5%, but their earnings, cash flow, and balance sheets tell a different story than their press releases. Before you count on those checks arriving, there are some serious warning signs worth understanding.

A big yield looks like free money until the company can no longer afford to pay it. United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS | UPS Price Prediction) yields 7.02%, and it sits on this list next to three other household names whose payouts carry real warning signs. A high yield is only as good as the payout’s sustainability, and for retirees who rely on that income, a cut hurts twice: the checks shrink and the share price usually falls with them.

Quick test for sustainability: earnings and free cash flow should cover the dividend with room left over, and the payout shouldn’t depend on rising debt or a falling share price.

Pfizer: A 6% Yield Resting on Thin Coverage The drugmaker Pfizer (NYSE:PFE) pays $0.43 a quarter, which works out to a yield of 6.10%. Part of that yield comes from a low share price. The stock is down 16.28% over five years.

Coverage is where the problems start. Trailing diluted EPS is $0.76 against a $1.72 annual dividend, which puts the GAAP payout ratio at approximately 226%. Cash flow is tight as well. Free cash flow in 2025 came to $9.076 billion, short of the $9.771 billion paid out in dividends. In the first half of 2026, free cash flow was $2.481 billion while dividends totaled $4.896 billion. Leverage stands at 2.7 times, and management expects it to stay “around current level or modestly higher” as patent expirations reduce revenue.

Pfizer’s case for keeping the dividend rests on its adjusted earnings guidance of $2.80 to $3.00, which comfortably covers the payout. Chief Executive Albert Bourla said on the August earnings call that “the dividend will be maintained and eventually after the LOE period, will start growing it again.” For that promise to hold, growth from Pfizer’s newer drugs has to outpace the decline in revenue from its COVID-related products. Our earlier look at Pfizer’s fragile dividend story covers the details.

UPS: A 7% Payout Above GAAP Earnings UPS pays $6.56 per share each year. The stock has fallen 34.49% over five years, and that drop has pushed the yield above 7%.

Trailing GAAP EPS of $5.41 means the company pays out about 121% of its earnings. Free cash flow in 2025 was $5.47 billion, against expected dividend payments of around $5.5 billion. In the first quarter of 2026, free cash flow of $1.28 billion fell short of the $1.352 billion paid to shareholders. Cash dropped from $5.887 billion to $4.653 billion over six months, and second-quarter interest expense rose 14.3% year over year.

On the positive side, management expects adjusted EPS of about $7.22 this year, helped by roughly $3 billion in transformation savings. If those savings turn into cash, coverage improves. If those savings fall short, the roughly $5.4 billion planned for 2026 dividends will strain the balance sheet.

Kraft Heinz: Shrinking Sales Behind a Yield Lifted by the Falling Stock Packaged-food maker Kraft Heinz (NASDAQ:KHC) yields 6.82% on a $1.60 annual dividend. Most of that yield comes from the stock’s fall. The stock is down 59.6% over ten years and 11.78% in the past month alone.

Trailing GAAP EPS is −$2.88, pulled down by $7.4 billion in goodwill and intangible impairments in the second quarter, following $9.3 billion in 2025. Revenue fell 3.5% last year, and 2026 guidance calls for organic sales to fall 0.5% to 2.0% and constant-currency adjusted operating income to drop 16% to 18%. A company whose sales and earnings are both shrinking has less room to keep a flat dividend going.

Free cash flow is the strongest part of the bull case. It reached $3.661 billion in 2025, well above the $1.898 billion paid in dividends, and adjusted EPS guidance of $2.03 to $2.09 covers the payout. Everything depends on the volume recovery that management is spending heavily to achieve.

Ford: Heavy Debt and GAAP Losses Ford Motor (NYSE:F) pays a regular 15 cents per quarter, for a yield of 4.98%. Shares have dropped 11.34% over the past month.

Ford lost $8.162 billion in 2025 after $10.7 billion in EV impairments and program cancellations, and trailing EPS is −$1.87. Free cash flow fell 47.87% to $3.513 billion last year, against a regular dividend that costs roughly $2.35 billion a year. First-quarter 2026 free cash flow was negative $1.874 billion. Debt-to-equity stands at 4.66, and interest coverage is only about 2x. Model e losses of $4.0 billion to $4.5 billion are expected this year.

Management is guiding to adjusted free cash flow of $5.0 billion to $6.0 billion, which would cover the payout if commodity and tariff costs stay manageable. Ford’s long-term outlook depends on its EV spending slowing down.

Look Past the Yield Before You Buy A dividend cut usually drags the share price down with it, so income investors can lose both their income and part of their principal. All four of these companies say their payouts are safe, but their earnings, cash flow, and balance sheets point to real strain. A high yield alone is never a reason to buy. (We laid out the seven warning signs a big yield is about to be cut in a free dividend trap guide.) Before counting on one of these payouts, check coverage, free cash flow, and debt in every earnings report.

Contact [email protected] for any questions or corrections.

While the S&P 500 soared and rival GM recovered, Ford kept finding new ways to stumble under CEO Jim Farley, and the reasons behind its five-year slide reveal a company struggling to hold its ground in almost every market it…

Ford’s (NYSE: F | F Price Prediction) stock is down 18% over the last five years, while the S&P 500 is up 75%. Ford argues that its dividend makes up some of the difference. Investors in the stock itself have not bought into that story. Rival GM’s (NYSE: GM) stock is up 40% over the period. Ford has done little over the last half-decade to help the stock, unless the “little” is a series of unforced errors.

CEO Jim Farley has held the top job for six years, so almost all of the drop has come on his watch.

Ford held a strong position in the US fossil-fuel car industry. Most of it came from its SUV and pickup products. The F-Series full-size pickup has been America’s top-selling vehicle for over four decades. It is 37% of Ford’s US sales today. Ford hasn’t been able to change that, which makes it something of a one-legged stool in its home market.

Ford’s China and Europe businesses were once solid. That is not the case anymore. Ford’s sales in Europe were down 17.7% for the first eight months to 171,670. That puts it behind Chinese EV company BYD, which grew by 163% to 177,752.

CNBC recently reported, “Ford’s own language for what’s happening is more revealing than any outside description could be. The company describes its China unit’s strategy as building ‘in China, for the world.’” In other words, Ford sales in China are poor.

Among the world’s three largest car markets, it is only doing well in one–the US. And Ford barely held on to third place in third-quarter unit sales. It barely edged out South Korea’s Hyundai Motor.

Ford’s move in and out of EVs has been so well covered by the press that it is not worth mentioning.

Finally, Ford’s new move into EVs is a small, inexpensive pickup. The Fathom goes on sale a year from now. It is more evidence that Ford cannot turn on a dime to get models out the door. The Fathom is built on Ford’s unproven Universal EV Production System.

Ford’s stock has had a horrible five years. Nothing on the horizon suggests that will change.

Contact [email protected] for any questions or corrections.

Spotify is renewing its contract with Joe Rogan to maintain its lucrative grip on his ad sales and licensing rights.

3 Dividend Stocks Defying the Market Downturn Amid the Iran ConflictCrescent Energy NYSE: CRGY said it has agreed to acquire Devon Energy’s Eagle Ford assets for a net purchase price of about $3.85 billion, a transaction the company expects to close in the fourth quarter of 2026 or early 2027, subject to customary conditions and regulatory approvals.

Chief Executive Officer David Rockecharlie said the acquisition expands Crescent’s position in the Eagle Ford and would make the company the basin’s second-largest producer on a pro forma basis. The assets add approximately 68,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day of production, including nearly 40,000 barrels of oil per day, along with more than 600 net locations in the Karnes Trough.

Get Crescent Energy alerts:

3 Mid-Cap Energy Firms Analysts See Moving Up to the Big Leagues“We have owned Royalties under these assets for more than a decade and have operations directly offset,” Rockecharlie said, describing the assets as a differentiated strategic fit for the company. He said Crescent expects the transaction to add Tier 1 inventory with economics that compete with other Lower 48 opportunities.

Transaction Metrics and Financing Crescent said it is acquiring the assets for about three times EBITDA and for less than $2 million per net location. The company expects returns exceeding its target of a two-times multiple on invested capital, a payback period of less than five years, and accretion to cash flow, free cash flow and net asset value.

3 Mid-Cap Stocks Under $20 With Insider Buying and Major UpsideThe acquisition will be financed through a mix of debt and equity, according to Chief Financial Officer Brandi Kendall. KKR, a longstanding Crescent investor and strategic partner, has committed $500 million in support of the transaction.

Kendall said the acquired production base includes approximately $2.3 billion of proved developed PV-10, in addition to royalties-related cash flow and potential value from operating improvements. The transaction has a July 1 effective date.

Following the closing, Crescent intends to prioritize debt reduction while maintaining its fixed dividend and liquidity position. The company said it has added incremental commodity hedges to provide cash-flow visibility during the initial deleveraging period. As of the call, Crescent was roughly 50% hedged on oil production for 2027, with approximately two-thirds of that position in swaps and one-third in collars.

Management is targeting leverage of about 1.5 times by year-end 2027 and approaching one time by year-end 2028, based on current share pricing. Kendall said the transaction keeps Crescent on its path toward an investment-grade credit profile, although its expected deleveraging timeline is effectively delayed by about 12 months.

Operational Synergy Plans Crescent identified approximately $140 million of annual synergy potential across drilling and completions, lease operating expense and marketing. The company expects to capture the full amount during 2027 and have it reflected in its run-rate results exiting that year.

Chief Operating Officer Joey Hall said the largest source of anticipated savings is development optimization, particularly through longer lateral wells and surface-design efficiencies. Crescent expects approximately $100 million in annual synergies from longer-lateral development alone.

Hall said Crescent has increased average lateral lengths by more than 25% compared with prior operators across its five most recent acquisitions of scale. On the Devon assets, Crescent cited plans to increase average lateral lengths from approximately 6,500 feet to 11,500 feet.

Management said it does not plan to accelerate activity materially following the acquisition. Instead, Rockecharlie said Crescent expects to maintain activity near existing levels while producing similar volumes with lower capital requirements. The pro forma company is expected to maintain about 170,000 barrels of oil production per day with approximately $1.8 billion of annual development capital, implying a maintenance reinvestment rate roughly 5% lower than Crescent’s standalone standard.

The company expects the combined portfolio to have about six years of inventory with breakevens below $50 per barrel, about 10 years below $60 per barrel, and more than 15 years of total inventory life. Management said the 600 identified net locations do not include potential refracturing opportunities.

Royalties Platform Expands The acquisition also adds about $50 million of royalties EBITDA and increases Crescent’s operating control over its royalties portfolio. Executive Vice President of Investments Clay Rynd said Crescent has discussed its royalties business as a roughly $200 million annual EBITDA operation, and the transaction increases expected cash flow by more than 20% to approximately $250 million.

Before the transaction, Crescent operated about 10% of royalties-related cash flow, according to management. Pro forma for the deal, the company expects to operate about 40% to 50% of the position, providing line of sight into roughly half of the platform’s cash flow.

Rockecharlie said Crescent remains in the process of evaluating strategic alternatives for its minerals and royalties position. The company had previously indicated a 12- to 18-month evaluation period and said the transaction could support the same or a faster timeline.

Management also said it does not expect to be a cash taxpayer in 2027 and likely not in 2028, with more detailed tax guidance expected alongside its formal 2027 outlook.

About Crescent Energy (NYSE:CRGY)Crescent Energy Company is an independent, U.S.-based energy company engaged in the acquisition, development, and operation of oil and natural gas properties. Its production portfolio includes crude oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids, with an emphasis on established assets that offer ongoing development opportunities.

The company's operations are concentrated in several major U.S. onshore producing regions, including the Eagle Ford, the Uinta Basin, and other assets across the Rocky Mountain and central United States.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to [email protected].

Should You Invest $1,000 in Crescent Energy Right Now?Before you consider Crescent Energy, you'll want to hear this.

MarketBeat keeps track of Wall Street's top-rated and best performing research analysts and the stocks they recommend to their clients on a daily basis. MarketBeat has identified the five stocks that top analysts are quietly whispering to their clients to buy now before the broader market catches on... and Crescent Energy wasn't on the list.

While Crescent Energy currently has a Moderate Buy rating among analysts, top-rated analysts believe these five stocks are better buys.

View The Five Stocks Here

The AI boom is creating opportunities across semiconductors, cloud computing, enterprise software, infrastructure, cybersecurity, and automation.

Inside this report, you’ll find 10 companies positioned to benefit as artificial intelligence moves from hype to real-world deployment and becomes a core growth driver for corporate America.

Get This Free Report

Continue following MarketBeat

Add MarketBeat as your preferred source on Google to see our latest stories in your feed.

President and CEO Clay Gaspar said the deal is the outcome of an ongoing portfolio review and sharpens the company's focus on its highest-return and longest-duration assets.

Ford is betting big on its next lineup of EVs. The CEO said it's pulling part of the manufacturing process into the car's brain. Bloomberg/Getty Images The computer inside Ford's next generation EVs will have a job to do before customers ever get the keys.

During a roundtable interview at Ford's Accelerate conference, CEO Jim Farley said vehicles built on the automaker's coming Universal Electric Vehicle platform, or UEV, will use their onboard computers to verify assembly connections.

"The vehicle diagnoses itself," he said during the interview, attended by Business Insider. "Most of our plants, with vision systems looking over people's shoulder to make sure they attach something right? We don't have that in UEV."

Ford isn't doing away with factory cameras and other external quality checks, a representative told Business Insider. Cameras will remain part of the assembly process.

What is new is the vehicle's internal verification: Once the vehicle has power, right after the painting process, its computer tells workers if the car's internal connections are correct.

That's a wildly different approach to vehicle manufacturing. Historically, car companies, including Ford, have relied on off-the-line inspections and scanners to check if connections are properly paired.

Now, Ford says it's bringing part of the manufacturing confirmation into the car's own brain.

"The computer determines if the connections are done right, and tells the worker immediately," Farley said.

Ford has previously talked to Business Insider about how it's turning to tech for quality control at its assembly plants. Since 2024, the company has been deploying internally-developed scanners — called AiTriz and MAIVs — which match machine learning and video streaming to catch minuscule misalignments. The systems can be especially useful when workers wearing gloves cannot easily feel whether two components are properly connected.

Ford told BI that those external checks are not going away on UEV — but the internal verification will be new for the platform.

The company has an obvious incentive to find more problems before vehicles reach customers. Last year, the company easily set a US auto industry record, issuing more than 150 vehicle recalls. The previous record was set by General Motors in 2014 when they issued 77. So far, Ford has posted another 78 this year, per NHTSA data.

The company is showing some confidence that its newer vehicles are turning the issue around. In June, the company topped JD Power's initial quality study, and Ford said much of its improvement came after it hired a batch of engineers, including rehiring some experienced technical specialists.

Simplification is another important element. Ford has reiterated that the coming Fathom pickup truck, the first vehicle built on the EV platform, has 20% fewer parts, 25% fewer fasteners, and 40% fewer workstations compared to the automaker's previous EV efforts.

The truck's Louisville plant will also move away from the company's traditional single-stream assembly line. Instead, three major sections of the truck will be built separately before being brought together in a central "marriage." Ford has dubbed the new approach an "assembly tree."

Ford has not released several details about UEV's assembly approach — it expects to raise the curtain on those developments in January.

Work at Ford? We want to hear from you. Contact Ben Shimkus at [email protected] or Signal at bshimkus.41. Use a personal email address and a nonwork device.

Read next

Ben Shimkus You're currently following this author! Click to unsubscribe from email alerts.

Ben Shimkus is a reporter for the Business News desk. He writes about cars, transportation, retail, and jobs. Ben's reporting has appeared in Rolling Stone, The Verge, Automotive News, USA Today, AutoBody News, LGBTQ Nation, TopSpeed, and Out Magazine. He's also held staff writing positions at The U.S. Sun and the Daily Mail. He graduated from NYU with a Master's in journalism in 2024. Email Ben at [email protected] or message him privately on Signal at bshimkus.41. 

Ford

Key Takeaways Ford's U.S. sales fell 6.6%, but core-model sales were flat as retail share rose 0.4 points to 12.1%.F-Series, Super Duty and Maverick Hybrid gains highlight strong demand for Ford's higher-value vehicles.Paid software subscriptions topped 1.7M, while Ford expects the supplier issue to stay within EBIT guidance. Ford (F - Free Report) heads into its upcoming third-quarter earnings report with encouraging underlying trends in its core truck and SUV businesses, despite a decline in overall U.S. vehicle sales. Ford's third-quarter U.S. sales fell 6.6% year over year to 509,764 vehicles, primarily reflecting the planned phase-out of Escape and Corsair.  

The strength of Ford's higher-value vehicle portfolio remains a key positive heading into earnings. F-Series sales increased 2.4% in September, while Super Duty production rose 4.4% to 110,275 units, marking its best quarterly performance in 19 years. Maverick Hybrid sales surged 59.6% to a record 27,793 units, and Bronco also recorded its strongest third-quarter sales.  

Demand for large SUVs, including Explorer and Expedition, further supports the company's product mix and pricing position. Additionally, active paid software subscriptions surpassed 1.7 million through September, increasing more than 40% year over year and strengthening the potential for recurring, higher-margin revenues. Although a temporary supplier issue affected F-150 production late in September, management expects the financial impact to remain within its existing 2026 adjusted EBIT guidance of $10-$11 billion.  

However, electric vehicle sales were the weak spot. According to Electrek, Ford’s U.S. EV sales plunged 80% year over year to 6,047 vehicles in the third quarter of 2026, Mustang Mach-E sales fell 72.4% to 5,574 units, while F-150 Lightning sales tumbled 97% to just 289 units. 

Competitive Context: GM & TMGeneral Motors (GM - Free Report) provides a useful comparison, as its third-quarter U.S. deliveries declined 5.5% to 670,974 vehicles, broadly reflecting the pressure on industry volumes. Nevertheless, GM's Silverado light-duty sales increased 13.3%, while Trax and Trailblazer posted gains of 16.3% and 51.1%, respectively. These results highlight that, much like Ford, GM continues to benefit from demand for selected trucks and affordable SUVs even as overall deliveries soften.  

It also witnessed a steep pullback in EV demand. Chevrolet Equinox EV deliveries plunged 92.4% year over year to 1,905 units, Blazer EV sales declined to 1,261 units and Silverado EV deliveries fell 58% to 1,655 units. Cadillac LYRIQ sales dropped 50.5%, while GMC HUMMER EV and Sierra EV sales decreased 72.9% and 50.8%, respectively. GM noted that its overall third-quarter sales decline partly reflected a substantially smaller EV market. 

The comparison becomes more nuanced when comparing Toyota (TM - Free Report) , which delivered 633,223 vehicles in the United States during the third quarter, up 0.6% year over year, with Toyota division sales rising 0.5% and Lexus sales increasing 1.6%.  

Toyota's electrified vehicle sales, including hybrids, jumped 28.5% to 363,367 units and represented 57.4% of its total quarterly sales, underscoring the strength of its multi-path electrification strategy. Toyota also continues to benefit from a broad electrified lineup, with 32 electrified vehicle options available across the Toyota and Lexus brands. 

The Zacks Rundown for FordShares of F have gained 1.49% in a year against its industry’s 3.4% decline. 

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

Ford is currently trading at a forward 12-month price-to-earnings of 6.33X, lower than the industry’s average of 82.96X. It carries a Value Score of A. 

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for fiscal 2026 earnings implies year-over-year growth of 70.6%. 

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

The consensus estimate for EPS for fiscal 2026 has been flat over the past 60 days. 

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

F currently carries a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

The global automotive landscape is shifting rapidly as legacy manufacturers balance traditional engine sales with expensive electric transitions. Should you bet on Ford Motor (F -1.39%) or Stellantis (STLA -6.18%) for your 2026 portfolio?

Ford relies on its iconic brands and a dominant commercial division to drive cash flow and market share. Stellantis manages a massive portfolio of 14 brands, aiming for global scale and production efficiency across dozens of markets. Both companies are navigating a difficult environment where high costs have pressured the bottom line for many consumer discretionary stocks.

The case for Ford MotorFord Motor organizes its global operations through three main segments: Ford Blue for gas-powered vehicles, Ford Model e for electric cars, and Ford Pro for commercial customers. In its latest annual report, the company highlighted its network of approximately 8,226 independently owned dealerships worldwide. This diverse approach helps the brand reach a broad consumer and commercial base, supported by its financial services arm, Ford Motor Credit Company.

In FY 2025, revenue reached approximately $187.3 billion, representing a slight growth of nearly 1.2% over the previous year. However, the company reported a net loss of roughly $8.2 billion for the same period. This resulted in a net margin of negative 4.4%, which measures the portion of revenue remaining after all expenses are paid, reflecting a significant decline from the positive net margin seen in 2024.

As of its December 2025 balance sheet, the debt-to-equity ratio is approximately 4.7x. This metric measures total debt relative to shareholder equity and suggests the company carries a high level of leverage. The current ratio, which indicates the ability to cover short-term liabilities with short-term assets, is roughly 1.1x. For FY 2025, the company generated free cash flow of nearly $12.5 billion, which represents the cash generated from operations minus capital expenditures. Ford's primary core automotive performance metric--Company Adjusted Free Cash Flow--was $3.5 billion.

The case for Stellantis Stellantis operates as a massive global automaker, managing 14 iconic brands including Jeep, Ram, Chrysler, and Fiat. Its operations are geographically diverse, covering North America, Europe, South America, and parts of Asia. The company focuses on leveraging its global scale to optimize production costs across its many mobility brands. This strategy allows the company to reach customers in more than 130 markets worldwide while attempting to streamline its manufacturing processes.

In FY 2025, revenue reached approximately $172.5 billion, which was a decrease of nearly 2.1% from the previous fiscal year. During this period, the company reported a substantial net loss of roughly $25.1 billion. This resulted in a net margin of negative 14.6%, showing the extent of the loss relative to total sales, as the company faced headwinds in several of its major regional markets.

As of its December 2025 balance sheet, the debt-to-equity ratio is approximately 0.9x. This metric measures total debt against shareholder equity, and a lower number generally suggests a more conservative capital structure than its peers. The current ratio, which measures the ability to meet short-term obligations with liquid assets, is roughly 1.0x. For FY 2025, the company reported negative free cash flow of about $18.2 billion, meaning the cash generated from operations was less than its capital expenditures.

Risk profile comparisonFord faces significant risks from disruptions in its global supply chain, including potential shortages of raw materials like lithium and cobalt. The company is also navigating intense competition as it transitions to electric vehicles and software-defined services. Furthermore, vehicle defects and subsequent recall campaigns pose a threat to both its financial results and its brand reputation. Cybersecurity risks also persist as vehicles become more connected and reliant on complex digital systems.

Stellantis is currently navigating the same difficult industry transition toward electrification and digital connectivity. The company must manage complex regulatory standards and environmental mandates across numerous global jurisdictions, which can lead to high compliance costs. It also faces fierce competition from legacy rivals like General Motors and Toyota Motor. Maintaining profitability across 14 different brands in a cooling global market remains a primary operational risk for the automaker.

Valuation comparisonStellantis appears cheaper using the P/S ratio, which measures price against sales over the past twelve months, and its lower debt levels.

MetricFord MotorStellantisForward P/E6.5x6.2xP/S ratio0.3x0.1xValuation metrics include sourcing from Financial Modeling Prep (FMP) and may differ from other data providers.

I'd go with Ford, though neither of these companies is a comfortable pick right now. Both are navigating painful transitions, and this is not a space for investors who want a smooth ride.

Ford has the cleaner near-term outlook. Its Ford Pro commercial vehicle business keeps outperforming, with quality scores just hitting their best level in years among mainstream brands. And the dividend provides some cushion for patient shareholders while the recovery plays out. The most recent quarter was complicated by an aluminum supply disruption and a large one-time charge, but the underlying business is moving in the right direction.

Stellantis is showing encouraging signs of recovery after a bruising 2025. Revenue grew sharply year over year, the cost reduction program is gaining traction, and the Leapmotor partnership is building momentum in Europe. But positive free cash flow is not expected until 2027, and significant charges are still coming in the second half of the year.

When two turnarounds look this similar, I'd say that owning the one already returning cash to shareholders through a dividend is the more comfortable starting point. Ford's combination of a recovering core business, a dividend, and improving quality scores makes it the more defensible choice for a patient investor right now.

DETROIT — Ford Motor retained its No. 3 U.S. sales position during the third quarter by a narrow margin over Hyundai Motor, which had been forecast to overtake the Detroit automaker.

Ford on Friday reported a year-over-year sales decline of 6.6% during the third quarter to 507,395 light-duty vehicles. That figure excludes its largest heavy-duty trucks, which are classified differently.

That compares to the South Korean automaker, including Hyundai, Kia and Genesis brands, reporting a 5.4% increase to 506,200 vehicles during the quarter.

Both companies performed better than expected. A forecast last week by Cox Automotive had called for Hyundai to overtake Ford in quarterly sales for the first time.

Hyundai, including its luxury Genesis brand and corporate sibling Kia, has been making major inroads in the U.S. this year. Ford, meanwhile, has struggled with production of its crucial F-Series pickup trucks after two supplier fires last year that disrupted production and sales.

Auto sales and deliveriesFord fends off Hyundai to retain No. 3 U.S. sales position in third quarterTesla reports 486,532 vehicle deliveries for third quarter, topping expectationRivian tops Q3 delivery expectations, reconfirms 2026 guidanceGM Q3 sales drop 5.5%, while Toyota buoyed by EVs, hybridsFord retains a roughly 89,700-unit sales lead for the year over Hyundai through the third quarter, according to data reported this week by the companies.

Ford on Friday downplayed Hyundai's proximity in sales, citing Kia and Hyundai brands operating separately in the U.S. despite having a corporate parent.

In addition to the F-Series production problems, Ford's year-over-year sales comparisons have been tough due to the discontinuation of vehicles such as the Ford Escape.

Rob Kaffl, Ford's head of U.S. sales, said Friday that sales and inventories of F-Series pickups, including its F-150, continued to improve during the quarter.

"Some of the headwinds we had early in the year are kind of behind us, and it's really setting us up for a really strong Q4 as we move in," Kaffl said during a media call.

F-Series sales were only off 1.9% during the third quarter, including a 97.1% decline of the discontinued F-150 Lightning electric pickup truck.

The Detroit automaker's Ford brand was off roughly 6% during the quarter, while its luxury Lincoln brand was down 18%.

Ford's year-over-year EV sales were off 67.5% through September, including a roughly 80% decline during the third quarter. The automaker is also facing tough comparisons in that category, as it reported record EV sales during the same period last year as demand spiked ahead of the Trump administration ending up to $7,500 in federal incentives for consumers to purchase an electric vehicle. 

Ford Motor Company (F - Free Report) is one of the stocks most watched by Zacks.com visitors lately. So, it might be a good idea to review some of the factors that might affect the near-term performance of the stock.

Shares of this company have returned -14.9% over the past month versus the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +0.6% change. The Zacks Automotive - Domestic industry, to which Ford Motor belongs, has lost 1.8% over this period. Now the key question is: Where could the stock be headed in the near term?

While media releases or rumors about a substantial change in a company's business prospects usually make its stock 'trending' and lead to an immediate price change, there are always some fundamental facts that eventually dominate the buy-and-hold decision-making.

Revisions to Earnings EstimatesRather than focusing on anything else, we at Zacks prioritize evaluating the change in a company's earnings projection. This is because we believe the fair value for its stock is determined by the present value of its future stream of earnings.

Our analysis is essentially based on how sell-side analysts covering the stock are revising their earnings estimates to take the latest business trends into account. When earnings estimates for a company go up, the fair value for its stock goes up as well. And when a stock's fair value is higher than its current market price, investors tend to buy the stock, resulting in its price moving upward. Because of this, empirical studies indicate a strong correlation between trends in earnings estimate revisions and short-term stock price movements.

For the current quarter, Ford Motor is expected to post earnings of $0.41 per share, indicating a change of -8.9% from the year-ago quarter. The Zacks Consensus Estimate remained unchanged over the last 30 days.

The consensus earnings estimate of $1.86 for the current fiscal year indicates a year-over-year change of +70.6%. This estimate has remained unchanged over the last 30 days.

For the next fiscal year, the consensus earnings estimate of $1.94 indicates a change of +4.4% from what Ford Motor is expected to report a year ago. Over the past month, the estimate has remained unchanged.

Having a strong externally audited track record, our proprietary stock rating tool, the Zacks Rank, offers a more conclusive picture of a stock's price direction in the near term, since it effectively harnesses the power of earnings estimate revisions. Due to the size of the recent change in the consensus estimate, along with three other factors related to earnings estimates, Ford Motor is rated Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).

The chart below shows the evolution of the company's forward 12-month consensus EPS estimate:

12 Month EPS

Revenue Growth ForecastWhile earnings growth is arguably the most superior indicator of a company's financial health, nothing happens as such if a business isn't able to grow its revenues. After all, it's nearly impossible for a company to increase its earnings for an extended period without increasing its revenues. So, it's important to know a company's potential revenue growth.

In the case of Ford Motor, the consensus sales estimate of $45.7 billion for the current quarter points to a year-over-year change of -3.2%. The $176.03 billion and $177.84 billion estimates for the current and next fiscal years indicate changes of +1.1% and +1%, respectively.

Last Reported Results and Surprise HistoryFord Motor reported revenues of $44.89 billion in the last reported quarter, representing a year-over-year change of -4.4%. EPS of $0.42 for the same period compares with $0.37 a year ago.

Compared to the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $45.72 billion, the reported revenues represent a surprise of -1.81%. The EPS surprise was +27.27%.

Over the last four quarters, Ford Motor surpassed consensus EPS estimates three times. The company topped consensus revenue estimates three times over this period.

ValuationWithout considering a stock's valuation, no investment decision can be efficient. In predicting a stock's future price performance, it's crucial to determine whether its current price correctly reflects the intrinsic value of the underlying business and the company's growth prospects.

While comparing the current values of a company's valuation multiples, such as price-to-earnings (P/E), price-to-sales (P/S), and price-to-cash flow (P/CF), with its own historical values helps determine whether its stock is fairly valued, overvalued, or undervalued, comparing the company relative to its peers on these parameters gives a good sense of the reasonability of the stock's price.

As part of the Zacks Style Scores system, the Zacks Value Style Score (which evaluates both traditional and unconventional valuation metrics) organizes stocks into five groups ranging from A to F (A is better than B; B is better than C; and so on), making it helpful in identifying whether a stock is overvalued, rightly valued, or temporarily undervalued.

Ford Motor is graded A on this front, indicating that it is trading at a discount to its peers. Click here to see the values of some of the valuation metrics that have driven this grade.

ConclusionThe facts discussed here and much other information on Zacks.com might help determine whether or not it's worthwhile paying attention to the market buzz about Ford Motor. However, its Zacks Rank #3 does suggest that it may perform in line with the broader market in the near term.

Park funded by Ford Motor Company's enrollment in DTE's voluntary renewables program, MIGreenPower, in support of the company's 100% renewable energy goal

, /PRNewswire/ -- DTE Energy, the state's largest producer of and investor in renewable energy, has completed construction on the 100-megawatt Cold Creek Solar Park near Coldwater, MI. This park is a key milestone toward Ford Motor Company's decarbonization goals.

Ford agreed to purchase up to 650 megawatts of renewable energy through DTE's CleanVision MIGreenPower program, which allows homes and businesses to attribute their energy use to clean, Michigan-made renewable power. By the end of 2027, every Ford vehicle manufactured in Michigan will be assembled with the equivalent of 100% carbon-free electricity.

"Cold Creek Solar Park represents more than a new renewable energy project. It reflects what's possible when customers and energy providers work together to accelerate Michigan's clean energy future," said Matt Paul, president and chief operating officer, DTE Electric. "Through MIGreenPower, we're helping companies like Ford achieve their sustainability goals while building the renewable energy infrastructure that will power generations to come."

DTE's MIGreenPower program is among the largest voluntary renewable energy programs in the country. MIGreenPower is accelerating the development of Michigan-based renewable energy projects like Cold Creek Solar, bringing more clean energy to the grid while generating tax revenue for host communities, creating local jobs and helping customers such as Ford meet their sustainability goals.

"Cold Creek Solar Park is now delivering on the promise we made when we broke ground on this project — clean, reliable energy for our Michigan operations and for the communities where we build our vehicles," said Amir Mirshahi, director of Energy Infrastructure & Engineering at Ford. "Projects like this strengthen the resiliency of the grid that our plants, our employees and our neighbors all depend on. Investments like Cold Creek are about more than meeting our own sustainability goals — they're about being a good neighbor and a strong partner to the communities that support us."

DTE currently has 20 wind parks and 36 solar parks across Michigan, which together generate enough clean energy to power nearly 1 million homes. These projects, including those supported by MIGreenPower, are key to meeting the State of Michigan's target of 60% renewable energy by 2035 and DTE's ultimate goal of net zero carbon emissions.

For more information on DTE's MIGreenPower program, please visit www.migreenpower.com. 

About Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F) is a global company based in Dearborn, Michigan, that is committed to helping build a better world, where every person is free to move and pursue their dreams. The company's Ford+ plan for growth and value creation combines existing strengths, new capabilities and always-on relationships with customers to enrich experiences for and deepen the loyalty of those customers. Ford develops and delivers innovative, must-have Ford trucks, sport utility vehicles, commercial vans and cars and Lincoln luxury vehicles, as well as connected services. Additionally, Ford is establishing leadership positions in mobility solutions, including self-driving technology, and provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. Ford employs about 182,000 people worldwide. More information about the company, its products and Ford Credit is available at corporate.ford.com.

About DTE Energy
DTE Energy (NYSE: DTE) is a Detroit-based diversified energy company involved in the development and management of energy-related businesses and services nationwide. Its operating units include an electric company serving 2.3 million customers in Southeast Michigan and a natural gas company serving 1.4 million customers across Michigan. The DTE portfolio also includes energy businesses focused on custom energy solutions, renewable energy generation, and energy marketing and trading. DTE has continued to accelerate its carbon reduction goals to meet aggressive targets and is committed to serving with its energy through volunteerism, education and employment initiatives, philanthropy, emission reductions and economic progress. Information about DTE is available at dteenergy.com, empoweringmichigan.com, x.com/DTE_Energy and facebook.com/dteenergy.

SOURCE DTE Energy

By You're currently following this author! Click to unsubscribe from email alerts.

Jim Farley, Ford's CEO, said AI is bumping up against knowledge workers. Trades workers? Not so much. Ben Shimkus/Business Insider Building the spreadsheet will soon be AI's job at Ford. But fixing the robots? The company still needs a human for that.

On Wednesday, Ford CEO Jim Farley told reporters during Ford's Accelerate the Essential Economy conference in Detroit that the "first inning" of the AI boom has had very different effects on vocational work and informational work.

"If you work in finance doing spreadsheets, or you're in a call center, or you're an entry-level programmer," he said, "those jobs are definitely going to be changed, eliminated with at least this first inning of AI."

Meanwhile, "AI as more of a companion to our skilled trade," Farley said.

The automaker has more than 10,000 skilled-trades workers in the US, representing roughly 20% of the company's 56,000 UAW employees. Those workers are increasingly repairing robots, working with software, and maintaining automated machinery, he said.

CMO Dara Treseder talks Autodesk's Flow Studio and how AI is shaping the job landscape

Automation is a central focus for Ford. It's invested heavily in robotics while racing to remake its lineup of EVs. Farley said the line between manufacturing engineers and hourly skilled-trades workers is becoming "completely blurred" in those newer operations.

Ford's massive megacasting machines for its coming Fathom electric pickup, for example, require workers with software and fluid-dynamics expertise, Farley said. Its battery plants also need workers who can maintain specialized equipment. New plants have a closer resemblance to semiconductor fabrication factories than legacy auto assembly lines, he said.

Ford also employs thousands of blue-collar workers at dealerships across the US — and they're working alongside AI, too, Farley said. He pointed to the example of a rural technician working for the first time on an engine in a Super Duty, Ford's largest pickup truck. The company is developing AI guidance to walk that technician through the steps, he said.

Other executives at the conference made a similar case for AI in the physical workforce. Chris Nelson, CEO of Stanley Black & Decker, said electricians have become a bottleneck for data-center construction, and said his company has developed an autonomous drilling robot that can handle the repetitive drilling needed to mount racks and cables in data centers.

"The task is not going to change," Nelson said. "How swiftly, safely, and productively you can accomplish it in concert with AI is going to be, I think, a big part of the formula."

Ford and several large employers used the conference to promote a report from the Alliance for America's Skilled Trades, a group cofounded by Ford, BlackRock, Google, and Carhartt. The group's report said the US will need to fill about 1.7 million skilled-trades openings annually through 2035, while formal training pathways are producing 55 workers for every 100 needed.

The pipeline for that talent is very leaky, the report found. Only 48 of every 100 apprenticeship starters complete their program. Transportation, childcare, and income pressures were leading contributors for why people didn't finish their training.

Farley also said that AI will only help those workers if they trust the tech. Ford employees already have access to AI-powered vision systems to inspect vehicle panels and other work, but workers may resist or ignore the systems if they believe the data could be used against them.

That tension has shadowed workplace technology for decades, Farley said, including when he worked as a time-motion-study expert, clocking how long it took for assemblyline workers to complete tasks (a job, he said, nearly got him into physical altercations with angry staff).

The difference now is that the machines workers are being asked to trust may also be the ones those workers are needed to repair.

Read next

Ben Shimkus You're currently following this author! Click to unsubscribe from email alerts.

Ben Shimkus is a reporter for the Business News desk. He writes about cars, transportation, retail, and jobs. Ben's reporting has appeared in Rolling Stone, The Verge, Automotive News, USA Today, AutoBody News, LGBTQ Nation, TopSpeed, and Out Magazine. He's also held staff writing positions at The U.S. Sun and the Daily Mail. He graduated from NYU with a Master's in journalism in 2024. Email Ben at [email protected] or message him privately on Signal at bshimkus.41. 

Ford

DETROIT--(BUSINESS WIRE)---- $F #automotive--A judge certified classes in a lawsuit alleging Ford knowingly sold diesel trucks equipped with defective CP4 fuel pumps, according to Hagens Berman.

The auto maker is bringing together business leaders from across the country to discuss the shortage of skilled trade workers that is coming.

The automaker has been working to recover truck production after an aluminum supplier was knocked offline last year.

DETROIT — Ford Motor CEO Jim Farley said Tuesday he believes politicians should take lessons learned from Europe when deciding whether to allow Chinese automakers into the U.S., cautioning that it's "too late" for that region but not for the American market.

"I think it's just important for us to take our time to be considerate," Farley said at the Automotive News Congress in Detroit. "I watch what's happening in Europe right now, where that was not the case, and it's really something that they have to deal with now, and it's too late."

Global market share for Chinese brands jumped nearly 70% from 2020 to 2025, according to market research and consulting firm GlobalData. Chinese automakers' market share in Europe was virtually nothing in 2020 but hit 12% in August, according to Germany-based Dataforce.

Farley's comments come as Ford tries to compete against an influx of Chinese automakers entering Europe, while also attempting to partner with some Chinese companies to fill plants and assist in other technologies, such as electric vehicle batteries.

Ford and China automaker Geely said in July that Geely planned to build EVs at a Spain plant owned by the Detroit automaker by early next year through a new manufacturing joint venture.

"Our answer is pretty simple. We're going to partner with the Chinese where we don't have [intellectual property], where we can be more capital efficient in places like Europe or Southeast Asia," Farley said Tuesday.

He also added that Ford plans to also compete against the Chinese, noting that it's preparing to launch its "universal electric vehicle" next year with a pickup truck.

The Trump administration sent the automaker a letter earlier this month expressing "profound concern" about its ties to Chinese companies and questioning its strategic trajectory. Ford at the time defended its stance as America's top-producing carmaker and said it employs more hourly workers in the country than any other automaker.

Farley's warning also comes on the heels of a high-profile visit last week by Chinese President Xi Jinping with President Donald Trump, who earlier this month said he might be "OK" letting Chinese automakers into the U.S. if they produced vehicles domestically.

There also are bills in Congress that could restrict or even permanently ban Chinese automotive brands from entering the U.S. market.