Stock Traders Purchase Large Volume of Call Options on Ford Motor (NYSE:F)

Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F) was the recipient of some unusual options trading activity on Monday. Stock investors purchased 166,708 call options on the company. This is an increase of 68% compared to the average daily volume of 99,517 call options.

Ford Motor Stock Down 2.2%

Shares of F traded down $0.28 during mid-day trading on Monday, hitting $12.05. 48,719,346 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 57,857,160. Ford Motor has a 1-year low of $9.88 and a 1-year high of $14.80. The company has a quick ratio of 0.94, a current ratio of 1.09 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.84. The company has a market capitalization of $48.00 billion, a PE ratio of -7.77, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.28 and a beta of 1.65. The business has a 50 day moving average of $12.24 and a 200 day moving average of $13.00.

Ford Motor (NYSE:F) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, April 29th. The auto manufacturer reported $0.66 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.18 by $0.48. The firm had revenue of $43.25 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $42.66 billion. Ford Motor had a positive return on equity of 15.77% and a negative net margin of 3.22%.Ford Motor’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.14 earnings per share. Equities research analysts anticipate that Ford Motor will post 1.57 EPS for the current year.

Ford Motor Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 1st. Investors of record on Tuesday, May 12th will be given a $0.15 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, May 12th. This represents a $0.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 5.0%. Ford Motor’s dividend payout ratio is currently -38.71%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

F has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on shares of Ford Motor from $14.00 to $15.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. Citigroup decreased their price objective on Ford Motor from $13.50 to $13.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Monday, May 4th. HSBC lifted their price objective on Ford Motor from $9.80 to $12.80 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 13th. Barclays boosted their target price on shares of Ford Motor from $12.00 to $13.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Friday, January 23rd. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada boosted their target price on shares of Ford Motor from $11.00 to $13.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a report on Thursday, April 30th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, ten have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $13.56.

Insider Activity

In related news, insider William Clay Ford, Jr. bought 140,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 19th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $13.82 per share, with a total value of $1,934,800.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the insider owned 3,912,600 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $54,072,132. This trade represents a 3.71% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.63% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Ford Motor

A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of F. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. boosted its position in Ford Motor by 2.4% in the 4th quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. now owns 4,345,131 shares of the auto manufacturer’s stock worth $57,008,000 after purchasing an additional 103,423 shares in the last quarter. Versor Investments LP purchased a new stake in Ford Motor in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $2,187,000. Caprock Group LLC purchased a new stake in Ford Motor in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $893,000. Quantbot Technologies LP boosted its position in Ford Motor by 91.6% in the 3rd quarter. Quantbot Technologies LP now owns 179,619 shares of the auto manufacturer’s stock worth $2,148,000 after purchasing an additional 85,848 shares in the last quarter. Finally, National Pension Service boosted its position in Ford Motor by 6.7% in the 3rd quarter. National Pension Service now owns 8,099,060 shares of the auto manufacturer’s stock worth $96,865,000 after purchasing an additional 510,426 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 58.74% of the company’s stock.

Ford Motor Company Profile

Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F) is an American multinational automaker headquartered in Dearborn, Michigan. Founded by Henry Ford in 1903, the company became an early pioneer of mass-production techniques with the Model T and the adoption of the moving assembly line. Today, Ford designs, manufactures, markets and services a broad range of vehicles and mobility solutions under the Ford and Lincoln brands, spanning passenger cars, SUVs, pickup trucks and commercial vehicles.

Ford’s business activities extend beyond vehicle production to include parts and aftermarket services, fleet and commercial sales, and automotive financing through Ford Motor Credit Company.