Ford Motor Target of Unusually High Options Trading (NYSE:F)

Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F) was the recipient of some unusual options trading activity on Thursday. Stock investors purchased 297,221 call options on the company. This is an increase of 176% compared to the average daily volume of 107,847 call options.

Ford Motor Stock Up 1.0%

Shares of F traded up $0.14 during midday trading on Thursday, hitting $13.99. 132,109,945 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 70,293,188. Ford Motor has a 1 year low of $8.44 and a 1 year high of $14.50. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $13.58 and its 200-day moving average is $12.63. The company has a current ratio of 1.12, a quick ratio of 0.98 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.20. The stock has a market capitalization of $55.72 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -6.79, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.74 and a beta of 1.66.

Ford Motor (NYSE:F) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 10th. The auto manufacturer reported $0.13 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.06 by $0.07. The company had revenue of $45.89 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $41.78 billion. Ford Motor had a positive return on equity of 9.62% and a negative net margin of 4.37%.The firm’s revenue was down 4.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business posted $0.39 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Ford Motor will post 1.47 earnings per share for the current year.

Ford Motor Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 2nd. Investors of record on Friday, February 13th will be paid a $0.15 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 13th. This represents a $0.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.3%. Ford Motor’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 51.72%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages have commented on F. UBS Group upped their target price on shares of Ford Motor from $12.50 to $15.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 14th. Morgan Stanley upped their price objective on shares of Ford Motor from $11.00 to $14.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Monday, December 8th. TD Cowen boosted their price target on shares of Ford Motor from $13.00 to $15.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 13th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Ford Motor in a research note on Monday, December 22nd. Finally, Barclays boosted their price objective on shares of Ford Motor from $12.00 to $13.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Friday, January 23rd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have given a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $13.02.

Ford Motor News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Ford Motor this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Management is guiding for a stronger 2026 and emphasizing cost cuts and portfolio adjustments, which has reassured investors about recovery prospects. Ford’s quarterly earnings miss forecasts, CEO sees stronger year in 2026
• Positive Sentiment: Company filings/press releases showed headline EPS and revenue metrics that some outlets read as a beat vs. certain expectations, giving short-term support amid mixed analyst reactions. Ford Reports Fourth-Quarter, Full-Year 2025 Financial Results
• Positive Sentiment: Operational quality appears to be improving: management told employees bonuses would be set high after quality gains, a sign of execution progress. Ford boosts companywide bonus as initial quality improves, sources say
• Positive Sentiment: Ford is expanding into large-format battery storage for utilities and commercial customers — a new revenue stream that investors may view as diversification beyond passenger EVs. Ford Will Make a Play for a Different Battery Market
• Positive Sentiment: Short interest has fallen notably, reducing pressure from short-sellers and potentially supporting the stock. Market data: short interest decline
• Neutral Sentiment: Vehicle rankings and commentary emphasize full‑size trucks and hybrids as profitable segments — supportive for Ford’s truck-centric strategy but not an immediate catalyst. 3 Investor Takeaways From a Ranking of the Best New Vehicles of 2026
• Negative Sentiment: Large EV-related writedowns and restructuring drove heavy losses (reported as sizable quarterly and annual EV losses), which remain a material near-term earnings drag. Ford CEO says ‘the customer has spoken’ after its EV business lost nearly $5 billion last year
• Negative Sentiment: Higher-than-expected tariff costs and supplier outage impacts are ongoing headwinds (Ford disclosed multi‑hundred‑million to multi‑billion dollar hits). Tariffs Bite Ford Harder Than Expected
• Negative Sentiment: Some analysts remain cautious: a recent reaffirmation with a $12 price target implies downside from recent levels, which could limit upside until results show sustained recovery. Analyst note: RBC reaffirms sector perform, $12 PT

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Ford Motor

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Caxton Associates LLP purchased a new stake in shares of Ford Motor in the 1st quarter valued at $304,000. Empowered Funds LLC increased its holdings in Ford Motor by 41.6% in the first quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 147,760 shares of the auto manufacturer’s stock valued at $1,482,000 after buying an additional 43,385 shares in the last quarter. Johnson Investment Counsel Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Ford Motor by 3.0% during the 2nd quarter. Johnson Investment Counsel Inc. now owns 49,358 shares of the auto manufacturer’s stock worth $536,000 after acquiring an additional 1,420 shares in the last quarter. Concurrent Investment Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of Ford Motor by 6.3% in the 2nd quarter. Concurrent Investment Advisors LLC now owns 220,087 shares of the auto manufacturer’s stock valued at $2,388,000 after purchasing an additional 13,086 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Vanguard Personalized Indexing Management LLC boosted its position in Ford Motor by 32.3% during the second quarter. Vanguard Personalized Indexing Management LLC now owns 378,021 shares of the auto manufacturer’s stock worth $4,102,000 after purchasing an additional 92,183 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 58.74% of the company’s stock.

About Ford Motor

Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F) is an American multinational automaker headquartered in Dearborn, Michigan. Founded by Henry Ford in 1903, the company became an early pioneer of mass-production techniques with the Model T and the adoption of the moving assembly line. Today, Ford designs, manufactures, markets and services a broad range of vehicles and mobility solutions under the Ford and Lincoln brands, spanning passenger cars, SUVs, pickup trucks and commercial vehicles.

Ford’s business activities extend beyond vehicle production to include parts and aftermarket services, fleet and commercial sales, and automotive financing through Ford Motor Credit Company.