Ford Stock Drops 7 Percent During Week Of May 11 – May 15, 2020

The value of Ford stock decreased during the May 11^th, 2020 – May 15^th, 2020 timeframe. Shares closed the week at $4.90 per share, which represents a decrease of $0.34 per share, or about 7 percent, compared to the prior week’s closing value of $5.24.

Movement & Ranges

For the sake of comparison, shares of Ford’s cross-town rival – General Motors Company – fell $1.30 per share, or over 5 percent – during the May 11^th, 2020 – May 15^th, 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 $4.90 is roughly half of the $9.42 per share value that Ford stock opened the 2020 calendar year.

Prior to the decline experienced this week, Ford stock values experienced two consecutive weeks of growth. Ironically, the rebound occurred after Ford released its Q1 2020 earnings, which was headlined by a loss of $2 billion, while also warning that it could lose up to $5 billion in Q2 2020 if things do not improve and production does not restart.

Ford During COVID-19

The coronavirus pandemic initially forced Ford to idle production across North America, South America and China as a result of the virus, putting the firm in a very unfavorable position. During such a scenario, an automaker sees revenues fall sharply while rapidly burning through cash, resulting in a loss-making turn of events. Since the beginning of the pandemic, Ford production in China resumed in March, Ford Europe production started back up on May 4^th and North American Ford production will resume on May 18^th.

Ford has taken major steps to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic, with the actions primarily revolving around reducing and/or deferring expenses and shoring up cash. For instance, Ford suspended its dividend and borrowed $15.4 billion in March, followed by borrowing another $8 billion in April.

During all that, The Blue Oval has been producing shields, face masks, and respirators to help medical workers fight the virus on the front lines.

A recent data point worth noting is that Ford COO Jim Farley bought $1 million in Ford stock, making it the largest open-market share purchase by a Ford executive in a decade.

Ford Before COVID-19

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.

A prototype of the 2021 Ford F-150

In 2020, Ford plans to launch a completely  new F-150 pickup. Set to launch in the fall of 2020 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 additions to its utility lineup – 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 launch in early 2021. All three all-new models are expected to deliver positive contributions to FoMoCo’s financial health.

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