New York, Feb 13, 2026, 18:14 EST — After-hours
- Ford shares rose 0.7% to $14.12 in after-hours trading.
- Investors are weighing tariff costs, cost-cutting claims and signs U.S. buyers are trading down to base trims.
- U.S. markets are closed Monday; focus shifts to Tuesday’s open and Ford’s next earnings date.
Ford Motor shares rose 0.7% to $14.12 in after-hours trading on Friday, with the stock ranging from $13.83 to $14.33 during the session. Volume reached about 87 million shares.
The move was modest, but the pressure points are not. Investors are trying to work out how much margin Ford can defend if buyers keep stepping down to cheaper trims and policy-driven costs stay sticky.
A Reuters report on Thursday said average new-car transaction prices have hovered around $50,000 for nearly a year, pushing some shoppers toward entry-level versions. Ford said overall U.S. sales fell in January, but deliveries of the base trim of its Maverick pickup rose 33.5%, and AutoForecast Solutions vice president Sam Fiorani said many buyers want “the bare minimum of options.” Morningstar auto analyst David Whiston said affordability concerns are also pushing automakers such as Honda and General Motors toward lower-cost offerings. (Reuters)
In a fixed-income presentation at the BMO Auto Finance Forum on Thursday, Ford reiterated full-year revenue of $187.3 billion and said it delivered $1.5 billion of cost reductions excluding tariffs. It also said it ended 2025 with nearly $29 billion in cash and about $50 billion in liquidity; adjusted EBIT — earnings before interest and taxes — was $6.8 billion and adjusted free cash flow, a cash metric after capital spending, was $3.5 billion. (Q4 Investor Relations)
Ford’s latest outlook calls for 2026 adjusted EBIT of $8 billion to $10 billion and adjusted free cash flow of $5 billion to $6 billion, with capital spending of $9.5 billion to $10.5 billion. CEO Jim Farley said the company made “difficult but critical” strategic decisions, while CFO Sherry House pointed to capital discipline; Ford said it plans to report first-quarter results after the close of market on April 28. (Q4 Investor Relations)
Earlier this week, Ford said a fire at an aluminum supplier and reduced tariff relief hit results, and it projected about $2 billion of costs this year tied to President Donald Trump’s tariffs, much of it linked to aluminum sourcing for the high-margin F-150. CFO Sherry House said updated guidance late last year on tariff relief added about $900 million in costs, and Ford said the fire-damaged plant near Oswego, New York, is not expected to be fully operational until sometime between May and September. Farley told analysts, “I do believe this is the right allocation of capital,” as Ford pushes partnerships and a lower-cost EV pickup platform while forecasting another $4 billion to $4.5 billion loss this year in its EV and software unit; General Motors and Stellantis have also flagged big EV-related charges. (Reuters)
Analyst reaction has been mixed. Morgan Stanley said the midpoint of Ford’s 2026 EBIT guidance landed below its estimate and pointed to tariff and supplier-related costs, while Barclays analyst Dan Levy said the outlook “largely cleared the bar” as investors wait for more detail. (Investing)
But the downside case is easy to sketch. A shift toward cheaper trims can lift units while cutting profit per vehicle, and any further swings in tariff rules or supply disruptions could land hardest on Ford’s most profitable trucks.
The next session comes Tuesday, with U.S. stock markets closed on Monday for the Presidents Day holiday. (New York Stock Exchange)
Beyond Tuesday’s open, traders will keep watching for signs the affordability squeeze is spreading and for any further tariff headlines that could reprice the sector. Ford’s next major catalyst is its first-quarter report, scheduled for April 28. (Yahoo Finance)
