Ford Motor (NYSE:F) Sees Significant Increase in Short Interest

Ford Motor (NYSE:F) was the target of a significant increase in short interest in 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. Based on an average trading volume of 59,030,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 1.6 days. Currently, 2.4% of the company’s stock are sold short.

Ford Motor Stock Performance

NYSE:F traded up $0.20 during midday trading on Tuesday, reaching $10.76. 63,874,216 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 54,050,430. The firm has a market capitalization of $42.94 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.09, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.79 and a beta of 1.62. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $10.73 and a 200 day moving average price of $11.96. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.30, a current ratio of 1.17 and a quick ratio of 1.00. Ford Motor has a twelve month low of $9.49 and a twelve month high of $14.85.

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

Ford Motor Dividend Announcement

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

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Ford Motor

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Olistico Wealth LLC bought a new position in Ford Motor in the 2nd quarter valued at about $25,000. Fortis Group Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Ford Motor by 100.0% in the fourth quarter. Fortis Group Advisors LLC now owns 2,172 shares of the auto manufacturer’s stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 1,086 shares in the last quarter. Family Firm Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Ford Motor during the second quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Voisard Asset Management Group Inc. bought a new stake in Ford Motor during the fourth quarter worth approximately $27,000. Finally, Financial Synergies Wealth Advisors Inc. lifted its position in Ford Motor by 1,997.9% in the first quarter. Financial Synergies Wealth Advisors Inc. now owns 2,035 shares of the auto manufacturer’s stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 1,938 shares during the period. 58.74% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Ratings Changes

F has been the subject of several research analyst reports. StockNews.com upgraded Ford Motor from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, August 2nd. Morgan Stanley downgraded shares of Ford Motor from an “overweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating and dropped their target price for the stock from $16.00 to $12.00 in a research report on Wednesday, September 25th. Wolfe Research initiated coverage on shares of Ford Motor in a research note on Thursday, September 5th. They issued a “peer perform” rating on the stock. Barclays decreased their price target on 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, Evercore ISI upgraded Ford Motor to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, July 26th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have issued a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $12.72.

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.