The value of Ford stock increased during the April 27th, 2020 – May 1st, 2020 timeframe. Shares closed the week at $4.92 per share, which represents an increase of $0.05 per share, or 1 percent, compared to the prior week’s closing value of $4.87.
Movement & Ranges
| Date | Open | Close | High | Low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020/5/1 | 5.02 | 4.92 | 5.05 | 4.90 |
| 2020/4/30 | 5.16 | 5.09 | 5.24 | 5.06 |
| 2020/4/29 | 5.33 | 5.26 | 5.50 | 5.21 |
| 2020/4/28 | 5.49 | 5.38 | 5.54 | 5.22 |
| 2020/4/27 | 4.91 | 5.17 | 5.19 | 4.88 |
For the sake of comparison, shares of Ford’s cross-town rival – General Motors Company – dropped $1.05 per share, or nearly 5 percent – during the April 27th, 2020 – May 1st, 2020 timeframe.
Ford Stock Factors
Ford share values continue to see historic lows amid the COVID-19 pandemic, with recent values being among the lowest recorded in over a decade. The current value of $4.92 is about half of the $9.42 per share value that Ford stock opened the 2020 calendar year.
Last week, Ford released its official Q1 2020 earnings, which was headlined by a loss of two billion dollars. The automaker initially anticipated about $600 million in losses, but revised that figure to be closer to the actual $2 billion. The Blue Oval also warned that it could lose up to $5 billion in Q2 2020 if things do not improve and production does not restart.
The Coronavirus has forced the automaker to temporarily idle production in North America as well as several other international markets, while suspending its dividend as it borrows $15.4 billion in March as well as another $8 billion in April. A circumstance wherein Ford (or any other automaker, for that matter) does not produce any vehicles presents a very unfavorable situation for the firm, causing revenues to fall sharply, resulting in a loss-making turn of events.
Earlier this week, Ford outlined its plans to re-open plants and begin producing vehicles, though no concrete date has been set.
Looking Ahead
When trying to understand where the Ford stock might be headed, it’s worth noting that Ford Motor Company was having issues prior to the global COVID-19 outbreak, including lack of profitability in several key vehicle lines and in various international markets, along with quality issues in key product launches. To that end, Ford CEO Jim Hackett replaced Joe Hinrichs with Jim Farley as COO, allegedly due to major issue associated with the rollout of the all-new 2020 Ford Explorer and Lincoln Aviator – two key models coming to market at a rather critical time, given the popularity of crossovers and SUVs.
Ford announced even more changes to its executive ranks in late April. The changes, made by recently-appointed COO Jim Farley after a 10 week-long deep dive, were presented as a way to “better serve customers, streamline decision-making and increase accountability.”
Coronavirus-related items aside, we remain interested in seeing how Ford stock will perform throughout the rest of 2020, especially in light of various actions taken by the Dearborn-based automaker throughout 2019 and into 2020. The company has taken steps to optimize its business by discontinuing all sedans to focus on more profitable crossovers, SUVs, and pickup trucks in North America, while at the same time investing in resource-intensive autonomous vehicle technologies like its Argo AI autonomous service as well as electric vehicles. Both initiatives have yet to result in a positive ROI for any automaker.
Ford – Volkswagen Argo AI partnership announcement
The Blue Oval started both efforts much later than its direct rivals. For instance, FCA was the first to discontinue most of its sedan portfolio and General Motors started to invest heavily into EVs and autonomous vehicles much earlier than The Blue Oval. In July 2019, Ford announced details of its partnership with Volkswagen that would result in VW investing in Ford’s Argo AI venture.
Ford Mustang Mach-E
In November 2019, The Blue Oval announced the new Ford Mustang Mach-E – an electric, four-door crossover inspired by the legendary Mustang pony car. Set to go on sale in about a year, the vehicle represents the direction in which Ford is going as a company and where it’s taking its vehicle lineup.
The Mustang Mach-E also demonstrated that Ford isn’t afraid to upend legendary nameplates. Initially, Ford stock didn’t see any movement in value following the announcement. However, the automaker sold out the introductory Mustang Mach-E First Edition variant, which is a promising development, if it should serve as an indicator of future Ford share values.
In 2020, Ford plans to launch a new F-150 pickup. Set to launch toward the end of the 2020 calendar year as a 2021 model, the 2021 F-150 will likely see a slow rollout before hitting full stride in roughly two or three quarters following job one. The Dearborn-based automaker will also reveal two new utility additions to its product line – the Bronco Sport, which is colloquially referred to as the “baby Bronco”, as well as the larger Ford Bronco. The former will go into production in September, while the latter will begin production in early 2021. All three all-new models are expected to deliver positive contributions to FoMoCo’s financial health.
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