It will likely surprise no one that legacy automaker Ford (F) would like to see more electric vehicle sales, particularly in Europe. Thus, it will likely also not surprise that Ford has been petitioning the United Kingdom government for more subsidies, which would hopefully get more vehicles sold. The move did not strike shareholders well, and shares slipped fractionally in Wednesday afternoon’s trading.
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Given that Ford recently slashed some jobs in Europe—and noted that it would likely focus on the United Kingdom—it would be easy to think that the country’s government would be about as receptive to the notion of handing them free money as any of us would be to, say, a person who killed our pets. But, according to the BBC, Ford carried on anyway, and Lisa Brankin—the managing director and chair of Ford UK—took Ford’s case to the government.
Brankin noted that there has to be demand for electric vehicles, otherwise the government’s own demands to make and sell more of them “just doesn’t work.” Brankin also pointed out that Ford has invested “well over” 350 million pounds sterling into producing and developing electric vehicles, so the government will now have to put its people’s money where its mouth is.
A Winner for Dealers
We have been hearing about Ford dealerships more often than normal, including the still somewhat vague plans to change the dealership at a fundamental level. One of the most recent changes, though, is increasingly finding favor with dealers and customers alike: the Ford Flex Buy option.
A report from Ford Authority noted that Ford Flex Buy is a payment system that allows customers to make lower payments during the first three years of a five or six-year loan while also increasing the term of the loan. It has been available since 2022, reports note, but with interest rates on the rise, it has proven especially popular for customers these days. It gives customers longer to pay, but it also makes customers pay for longer accordingly.
Is Ford Stock a Good Buy Right Now?
Turning to Wall Street, analysts have a Hold consensus rating on F stock based on four Buys, nine Holds, and one Sell assigned in the past three months, as indicated by the graphic below. After a 14.5% rally in its share price over the past year, the average F price target of $11.29 per share implies 1.85% upside potential.
