Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an Equalweight rating on Ford Motor Co (NYSE:F) and set a $14.00 price target, marginally above the stock's $14.04 close. The brokerage noted that, despite the near‑target price, the shares appear overvalued at current levels. Fourteen analysts have upgraded Ford's earnings outlook for the current year, and the company is projected to return to profitability.
Effective Aug. 31, former ENGIE North America chief renewables officer Dave Carroll will become president of Ford Energy, succeeding Lisa Drake, who is retiring after a 32‑year tenure. Drake, who founded Ford Energy in Jan. 2026, will remain through Dec. 31 to aid the transition. Carroll will report to Vice Chair John Lawler and will oversee battery cell manufacturing, system assembly, commercial strategy and sales. At ENGIE, Carroll expanded renewable operating assets more than 12‑fold over six years. Morgan Stanley analyst Andrew Percoco called the appointment a positive development and said the firm expects further customer announcements in the coming months.
In related corporate activity, Ford Motor Credit issued $2.5 billion of new senior notes—$1.5 billion due 2029 and $1 billion due 2033. The automaker also announced plans to relocate production of certain Lincoln models from China to the United States by 2030. Additionally, Ford unveiled a four‑door Mustang variant at a dealer event, with potential market entry before the decade’s end.
The broader automotive sector faced pressure after President Donald Trump announced a 50% tariff increase on Canadian vehicle imports, slated to take effect on Jan. 1, 2027. U.S. automaker stocks fell in response to the tariff news.
