Ford CEO Jim Farley takes off his mask at the Ford Built for America event at Fords Dearborn Truck Plant on September 17, 2020 in Dearborn, Michigan.
Nic Antaya | Getty Images
DETROIT – Ford Motor is set to report its fourth-quarter earnings after the bell Thursday. Here’s what Wall Street is expecting, according to Refinitiv consensus estimates:
- Adjusted earnings per share: 62 cents
- Automotive revenue: $40.37 billion
In October, Ford confirmed its prior full-year guidance of adjusted earnings before interest and taxes of between $11.5 billion and $12.5 billion. Through the first three quarters of the year, its brought in $7.9 billion, led by its North American operations.
If Ford meets or exceeds Wall Street’s top- and bottom-line expectations, EPS would more than double the 26 cents it reported for the same period a year earlier. Revenue would be an increase of 14.5% from the fourth quarter of 2021.
While investors will be monitoring the fourth-quarter results for signs of any waning consumer demand or profit dilution, Ford’s 2023 guidance is expected to be more of a focus.
Wall Street expects Ford’s full-year 2023 adjusted earnings per share outlook to mark a nearly 16% decline from 2022, according to Refinitiv estimates. That’s despite forecasting full-year revenue up 3.4% year over year to more than $151 billion, signaling lower operational profit compared with recent years.
Automakers have posted record or near-record results during the coronavirus pandemic amid a tight supply of new vehicles and resilient consumer demand. But that scenario is slowly normalizing, leaving new vehicle prices and profits in flux.
On Monday, Ford cut the price of its electric Mustang Mach-E, an early sign of a burgeoning EV price war spurred by Tesla.
Earlier Thursday, Ford reported January new vehicles sales that showed slight improvement over the same period last year.
There’s pressure on Ford to deliver a strong fourth quarter and relatively solid guidance. Crosstown rival General Motors on Tuesday significantly outperformed Wall Street’s expectations. The automaker also forecast stronger-than-expected 2023 results, including adjusted earnings before interest and taxes of $10.5 billion to $12.5 billion and adjusted earnings per share of between $6 and $7.
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