Ford Motor (NYSE:F) Trading Up 2% Following Better-Than-Expected Earnings

Ford Motor (NYSE:F) shares were up 2% during mid-day trading on Monday after the company announced better than expected quarterly earnings. The stock traded as high as $11.30 and last traded at $11.29. Approximately 16,706,813 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 68% from the average daily volume of 52,835,941 shares. The stock had previously closed at $11.07.

The auto manufacturer reported $0.49 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.47 by $0.02. Ford Motor had a net margin of 2.13% and a return on equity of 15.28%. The firm had revenue of $46.20 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $45.13 billion. During the same period last year, the business posted $0.39 earnings per share. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.5% compared to the same quarter last year.

Ford Motor Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, December 2nd. Stockholders of record on Thursday, November 7th will be issued a dividend of $0.15 per share. This represents a $0.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.77%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, November 7th. Ford Motor’s dividend payout ratio is currently 61.86%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

F has been the topic of several recent research reports. Royal Bank of Canada reaffirmed a “sector perform” rating and set a $10.00 target price on shares of Ford Motor in a report on Tuesday. The Goldman Sachs Group raised Ford Motor from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and lifted their price objective for the company from $12.00 to $13.00 in a report on Tuesday, October 1st. Wolfe Research initiated coverage on Ford Motor in a report on Thursday, September 5th. They set a “peer perform” rating on the stock. Evercore ISI raised Ford Motor to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, July 26th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price objective on shares of Ford Motor from $10.00 to $9.00 and set an “underweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, September 10th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have issued a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Ford Motor has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $12.48.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Ford Motor

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP raised its stake in shares of Ford Motor by 27.4% during the second quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 36,190,972 shares of the auto manufacturer’s stock valued at $453,732,000 after acquiring an additional 7,793,944 shares during the last quarter. Legal & General Group Plc lifted its holdings in Ford Motor by 1.0% during the 2nd quarter. Legal & General Group Plc now owns 31,823,353 shares of the auto manufacturer’s stock worth $399,066,000 after buying an additional 318,715 shares during the period. LSV Asset Management grew its position in shares of Ford Motor by 1.6% in the 2nd quarter. LSV Asset Management now owns 20,115,487 shares of the auto manufacturer’s stock valued at $252,248,000 after buying an additional 312,496 shares during the last quarter. Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Ford Motor by 11.0% in the first quarter. Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. now owns 12,290,204 shares of the auto manufacturer’s stock worth $163,214,000 after acquiring an additional 1,214,640 shares during the period. Finally, National Pension Service boosted its holdings in Ford Motor by 19.7% in the third quarter. National Pension Service now owns 10,115,052 shares of the auto manufacturer’s stock valued at $106,815,000 after acquiring an additional 1,663,460 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 58.74% of the company’s stock.

Ford Motor Stock Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.30, a quick ratio of 1.00 and a current ratio of 1.17. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $10.84 and its 200 day moving average price is $11.65. The company has a market capitalization of $41.54 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.73, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.58 and a beta of 1.62.

About Ford Motor

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.