Ford Motor (NYSE:F) Shares Down 5% – What’s Next?

Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F)’s stock price dropped 5% during mid-day trading on Monday . The company traded as low as $13.22 and last traded at $13.3860. Approximately 110,088,764 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 57% from the average daily volume of 70,285,922 shares. The stock had previously closed at $14.09.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms recently weighed in on F. Evercore raised their target price on shares of Ford Motor from $12.00 to $14.00 and gave the company an “in-line” rating in a report on Monday, December 22nd. UBS Group increased their price objective on shares of Ford Motor from $12.50 to $15.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 14th. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Ford Motor from a “buy” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Saturday, February 14th. Barclays upped their target price on shares of Ford Motor from $12.00 to $13.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Friday, January 23rd. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on Ford Motor from $14.00 to $15.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have issued a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Ford Motor presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $13.02.

Ford Motor Price Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.95, a quick ratio of 0.94 and a current ratio of 1.07. The company has a market capitalization of $53.40 billion, a P/E ratio of -6.50, a P/E/G ratio of 0.34 and a beta of 1.65. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $13.75 and its 200 day moving average is $12.88.

Ford Motor (NYSE:F) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, February 11th. The auto manufacturer reported $0.13 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.06 by $0.07. Ford Motor had a positive return on equity of 10.16% and a negative net margin of 4.37%.The business had revenue of $45.89 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $41.78 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $0.39 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was down 4.8% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts predict that Ford Motor Company will post 1.47 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Ford Motor Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 2nd. Shareholders 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 4.5%. Ford Motor’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently -29.13%.

Insider Activity

In related news, insider William Clay Ford, Jr. bought 140,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 19th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $13.82 per share, with a total value of $1,934,800.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the insider owned 3,912,600 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $54,072,132. This trade represents a 3.71% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.48% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Ford Motor

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Caxton Associates LLP bought a new stake in shares of Ford Motor during the first quarter valued at approximately $304,000. Empowered Funds LLC grew its stake in Ford Motor by 41.6% in the first quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 147,760 shares of the auto manufacturer’s stock worth $1,482,000 after purchasing an additional 43,385 shares in the last quarter. AlphaQuest LLC increased its holdings in Ford Motor by 1,018.5% during the 2nd quarter. AlphaQuest LLC now owns 3,087 shares of the auto manufacturer’s stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 2,811 shares during the period. Bessemer Group Inc. raised its position in Ford Motor by 14.1% during the 2nd quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 53,501 shares of the auto manufacturer’s stock valued at $580,000 after purchasing an additional 6,630 shares in the last quarter. Finally, World Investment Advisors lifted its holdings in shares of Ford Motor by 13.1% in the 2nd quarter. World Investment Advisors now owns 44,872 shares of the auto manufacturer’s stock worth $487,000 after buying an additional 5,194 shares during the period. 58.74% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Ford Motor Company Profile

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.