Ford Motor (NYSE:F) Short Interest Up 8.9% in September

Ford Motor (NYSE:F) saw a large increase in short interest during the month of September. As of September 15th, there was short interest totalling 94,960,000 shares, an increase of 8.9% from the August 31st total of 87,160,000 shares. Currently, 2.4% of the shares of the company are short sold. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 59,030,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 1.6 days.

Ford Motor Stock Up 1.8 %

Ford Motor stock traded up $0.20 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, reaching $10.76. The stock had a trading volume of 63,874,216 shares, compared to its average volume of 54,050,430. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.30, a quick ratio of 1.00 and a current ratio of 1.17. Ford Motor has a fifty-two week low of $9.49 and a fifty-two week high of $14.85. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $10.73 and its 200-day simple moving average is $11.96. The firm has a market capitalization of $42.94 billion, a PE ratio of 11.09, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.79 and a beta of 1.62.

Ford Motor (NYSE:F) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, July 24th. The auto manufacturer reported $0.47 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.68 by ($0.21). The company had revenue of $47.81 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $47.79 billion. Ford Motor had a net margin of 2.13% and a return on equity of 15.28%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $0.72 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Ford Motor will post 1.88 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Ford Motor Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, September 3rd. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, August 7th were paid a $0.15 dividend. This represents a $0.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.58%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, August 7th. Ford Motor’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 61.86%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts have issued reports on F shares. StockNews.com raised shares of Ford Motor from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, August 2nd. Morgan Stanley lowered shares of Ford Motor from an “overweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating and dropped their price objective for the company from $16.00 to $12.00 in a research note on Wednesday, September 25th. The Goldman Sachs Group upgraded shares of 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 research note on Tuesday. Barclays dropped their price target on shares of Ford Motor from $17.00 to $16.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, July 25th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada lowered their target price on shares of Ford Motor from $13.00 to $10.00 and set a “sector perform” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, August 12th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have assigned a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $12.72.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Ford Motor

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Olistico Wealth LLC purchased a new position in shares of Ford Motor during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $25,000. Financial Synergies Wealth Advisors Inc. grew its stake in shares of Ford Motor by 1,997.9% in the 1st quarter. Financial Synergies Wealth Advisors Inc. now owns 2,035 shares of the auto manufacturer’s stock worth $27,000 after buying an additional 1,938 shares during the last quarter. Family Firm Inc. purchased a new stake in Ford Motor during the 2nd quarter valued at $26,000. Quarry LP purchased a new stake in Ford Motor during the 2nd quarter valued at $27,000. Finally, Fortis Group Advisors LLC boosted its stake in Ford Motor by 100.0% during the 4th quarter. Fortis Group Advisors LLC now owns 2,172 shares of the auto manufacturer’s stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 1,086 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 58.74% of the company’s stock.

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.