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Ford (F) Set to Report Q2 Earnings: What's in the Cards?

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Ford Motor Co. (F - Free Report) is set to report second-quarter 2018 results on Jul 25, after the market closes.

In the last reported quarter, Ford beat estimates by 4.9%. In fact, the automaker surpassed estimates in three of the trailing four quarters, delivering an average positive surprise of 13.8%.

The long-term earnings-per-share growth (three-five years) for the company is currently pegged at 8.5%.

In the past three months, shares of Ford have underperformed the industry it belongs to. Over this time, shares of the company lost 2%, against the industry’s increase of 4.6%.

Let’s see how things have shaped up for the upcoming announcement.

Ford Motor Company Price and EPS Surprise

Ford Motor Company Price and EPS Surprise | Ford Motor Company Quote

Factors Influencing This Quarter

In May 2018, Ford reported 0.7% rise in year-over-year sales to 242,824 vehicles, boosted by SUV and truck sales. In June 2018, the company sold 230,635 vehicles in comparison with 227,979 vehicles a year earlier. Sales for Ford brand SUVs grew 8.1% to 77,453 vehicles and it created a record for the month. The strong economy and the upbeat consumers’ sentiment aided this sales rise. The strong sales figures should have some positive influence on the soon-to-be-released results.

However, Ford is also encountering several challenges. Tough competition in China, currency headwinds and high raw material costs are likely to have some adverse effect on the company’s second-quarter results.

For second-quarter 2018, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for automotive segment revenues (GAAP basis) is $36.7 billion. In first-quarter 2018, automotive segment revenues (GAAP basis) were $36.5 billion.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the wholesale unit — total automotive sold — is 1,616, lower than the prior quarter’s recorded figure of 1,662.

Earnings Whispers

Our proven model does not conclusively show an earnings beat for Ford this quarter. This is because a stock needs to have both a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) for this to happen. This is not the case here, as you will see below.

Earnings ESP: Ford’s Earnings ESP is -7.61% as the Most Accurate Estimate and the Zacks Consensus Estimate are pegged at 34 cents and 37 cents, respectively.

You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they’re reported with our Earnings ESP Filter.

Zacks Rank: Ford currently carries a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell).

We caution against stocks with a Zacks Rank #4 or 5 (Strong Sell) going into the earnings announcement, especially when the company is witnessing negative estimate revisions.

Stocks to Consider

Here are some stocks worth considering from the same space, with the right combination of elements to outpace earnings estimates this time around:

LKQ Corporation (LKQ - Free Report) has an Earnings ESP of +2.43% and a Zacks Rank #1. The company will report second-quarter 2018 financial figures on Jul 26.

You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

Visteon Corporation (VC - Free Report) has an Earnings ESP of +2.86% and a Zacks Rank #2. The company’s second-quarter 2018 financial results are scheduled to be released on Jul 26.

Fox Factory Holding Corp. (FOXF - Free Report) has an Earnings ESP of +0.35% and a Zacks Rank #2. The company’s second-quarter 2018 financial results are scheduled to be released on Aug 1.

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