What Led to Ford’s (F, $8.54) Underperformance in 2018?
Ford published its fourth quarter earnings and reported a loss of $116 million.
But the news that caught everyone’s attention is that the company reported a 28% y-o-y drop in its operating income, excluding the pension charge and other one-time items, both for the quarter and for the year. After the drop, operating profit for the quarter stood at $1.5 billion and $7 billion for the year.
On a per share basis, Ford earned $0.30 in the fourth quarter and $1.30 for the full year, both down from the previous year.
Even though Ford sold more high-end vehicles in the fourth quarter than it did in the same quarter of 2017, expensive key commodities, rising costs associated with the on-going Takata airbag recall, and losses at Ford's Chinese joint ventures overruled the achievements.
Analysts believe that key reason for Ford’s fourth quarter loss is its whopping one-time charge of $1.179 billion that left it with hefty on-paper losses.
Segment-wise, in North America, Ford earned $2 billion in the fourth quarter, and for the full year, it earned $7.6 billion, down from $8.1 billion in 2017. In South America, Ford lost $199 million in the fourth quarter, and for the full year, Ford lost $678 million, an improvement of $75 million from 2017. In Europe, Ford lost $199 million in the fourth quarter, with a full year loss of $398 million. In the Middle East and Africa, Ford lost $49 million in the fourth quarter with full year losses up to $7 million. In Asia Pacific, Ford lost $381 million in the fourth quarter, with a $534 million loss in China.
F in downward trend: 10-day moving average moved below 50-day moving average on July 07, 2026
The 10-day moving average for F crossed bearishly below the 50-day moving average on July 07, 2026. This indicates that the trend has shifted lower and could be considered a sell signal. In of 17 past instances when the 10-day crossed below the 50-day, the stock continued to move higher over the following month. The odds of a continued downward trend are .
Technical Analysis (Indicators)
Bearish Trend Analysis
The 10-day RSI Indicator for F moved out of overbought territory on June 02, 2026. This could be a bearish sign for the stock. Traders may want to consider selling the stock or buying put options. Tickeron's A.I.dvisor looked at 31 similar instances where the indicator moved out of overbought territory. In of the 31 cases, the stock moved lower in the following days. This puts the odds of a move lower at .
The Momentum Indicator moved below the 0 level on June 09, 2026. You may want to consider selling the stock, shorting the stock, or exploring put options on F as a result. In of 82 cases where the Momentum Indicator fell below 0, the stock fell further within the subsequent month. The odds of a continued downward trend are .
The Moving Average Convergence Divergence Histogram (MACD) for F turned negative on June 08, 2026. This could be a sign that the stock is set to turn lower in the coming weeks. Traders may want to sell the stock or buy put options. Tickeron's A.I.dvisor looked at 46 similar instances when the indicator turned negative. In of the 46 cases the stock turned lower in the days that followed. This puts the odds of success at .
F moved below its 50-day moving average on July 01, 2026 date and that indicates a change from an upward trend to a downward trend.
Following a 3-day decline, the stock is projected to fall further. Considering past instances where F declined for three days, the price rose further in of 62 cases within the following month. The odds of a continued downward trend are .
The Aroon Indicator for F entered a downward trend on July 09, 2026. This could indicate a strong downward move is ahead for the stock. Traders may want to consider selling the stock or buying put options.
Bullish Trend Analysis
The Stochastic Oscillator is in the oversold zone. Keep an eye out for a move up in the foreseeable future.
Following a 3-day Advance, the price is estimated to grow further. Considering data from situations where F advanced for three days, in of 322 cases, the price rose further within the following month. The odds of a continued upward trend are .
Fundamental Analysis (Ratings)
The Tickeron PE Growth Rating for this company is (best 1 - 100 worst), pointing to outstanding earnings growth. The PE Growth rating is based on a comparative analysis of stock PE ratio increase over the last 12 months compared against S&P 500 index constituents.
The Tickeron Price Growth Rating for this company is (best 1 - 100 worst), indicating steady price growth. F’s price grows at a higher rate over the last 12 months as compared to S&P 500 index constituents.
The Tickeron Valuation Rating of (best 1 - 100 worst) indicates that the company is slightly overvalued in the industry. This rating compares market capitalization estimated by our proprietary formula with the current market capitalization. This rating is based on the following metrics, as compared to industry averages: P/B Ratio (1.448) is normal, around the industry mean (9.313). P/E Ratio (11.838) is within average values for comparable stocks, (582.515). F's Projected Growth (PEG Ratio) (8.543) is very high in comparison to the industry average of (2.811). Dividend Yield (0.044) settles around the average of (0.038) among similar stocks. P/S Ratio (0.286) is also within normal values, averaging (14.491).
The Tickeron Profit vs. Risk Rating rating for this company is (best 1 - 100 worst), indicating that the returns do not compensate for the risks. F’s unstable profits reported over time resulted in significant Drawdowns within these last five years. A stable profit reduces stock drawdown and volatility. The average Profit vs. Risk Rating rating for the industry is 94, placing this stock better than average.
The Tickeron SMR rating for this company is (best 1 - 100 worst), indicating weak sales and an unprofitable business model. SMR (Sales, Margin, Return on Equity) rating is based on comparative analysis of weighted Sales, Income Margin and Return on Equity values compared against S&P 500 index constituents. The weighted SMR value is a proprietary formula developed by Tickeron and represents an overall profitability measure for a stock.
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General Information
a manufacturer of automobiles and trucks
Industry MotorVehicles
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