Ford Motor (NYSE:F) Sees Strong Trading Volume – Time to Buy?

Shares of Ford Motor (NYSE:F) saw unusually-strong trading volume on Thursday . Approximately 65,438,015 shares changed hands during trading, an increase of 4% from the previous session’s volume of 62,758,659 shares.The stock last traded at $10.02 and had previously closed at $10.30.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms have commented on F. Wolfe Research reiterated an “underperform” rating on shares of Ford Motor in a research report on Thursday, December 5th. Jefferies Financial Group downgraded shares of Ford Motor from a “hold” rating to an “underperform” rating and lowered their target price for the stock from $12.00 to $9.00 in a research note on Monday, December 16th. Evercore ISI lowered their price objective on Ford Motor from $11.00 to $10.00 and set an “in-line” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, February 10th. BNP Paribas upgraded Ford Motor to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, February 10th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lowered their target price on Ford Motor from $9.00 to $8.00 and set an “underweight” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, February 6th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eleven have issued a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Ford Motor presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $11.37.

Ford Motor Stock Performance

The company has a 50-day moving average of $9.75 and a 200-day moving average of $10.28. The company has a market cap of $38.54 billion, a PE ratio of 6.66, a PEG ratio of 0.61 and a beta of 1.59. The company has a quick ratio of 1.02, a current ratio of 1.16 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.31.

Ford Motor (NYSE:F) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 5th. The auto manufacturer reported $0.39 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.35 by $0.04. Ford Motor had a net margin of 3.18% and a return on equity of 16.88%. As a group, analysts anticipate that Ford Motor will post 1.47 earnings per share for the current year.

Ford Motor Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 3rd. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, February 18th were paid a $0.15 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, February 18th. This represents a $0.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 6.17%. Ford Motor’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 41.10%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Ford Motor

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Albion Financial Group UT grew its position in Ford Motor by 38.5% during the fourth quarter. Albion Financial Group UT now owns 3,600 shares of the auto manufacturer’s stock valued at $36,000 after buying an additional 1,000 shares during the period. Brighton Jones LLC grew its position in shares of Ford Motor by 5.4% during the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 19,693 shares of the auto manufacturer’s stock valued at $195,000 after acquiring an additional 1,001 shares during the period. Angeles Wealth Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Ford Motor by 1.3% during the 4th quarter. Angeles Wealth Management LLC now owns 80,728 shares of the auto manufacturer’s stock worth $799,000 after purchasing an additional 1,024 shares during the last quarter. Atlas Brown Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Ford Motor by 1.7% in the 4th quarter. Atlas Brown Inc. now owns 63,323 shares of the auto manufacturer’s stock worth $627,000 after purchasing an additional 1,047 shares during the period. Finally, Cornerstone Wealth Group LLC lifted its stake in Ford Motor by 10.6% in the fourth quarter. Cornerstone Wealth Group LLC now owns 11,429 shares of the auto manufacturer’s stock valued at $113,000 after purchasing an additional 1,098 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 58.74% of the company’s stock.

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.