Why Goldman Sachs Likes Ford Handily Over GM

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By Chris Lange Published
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Ford Motor Co. (NYSE: F) appears to be winning the battle with General Motors Co. (NYSE: GM), at least according to a key investment bank. Goldman Sachs has weighed in on these two key U.S. auto manufacturers, and the outlook is definitely in favor of Ford.

Ford was raised to Buy from Neutral and the price target was raised to $19 (versus a $15.29 close) at Goldman Sachs. Ford has a consensus price target of $17.35 and a 52-week range of $13.26 to $18.12.

Goldman Sachs downgraded GM to Neutral from Buy, and the price target was cut to $40 from $47 (versus a $36.30 close).

An instrumental driver for Ford was a strong growth outlook. The benefits from its pricing, volume and mix are starting to roll in from the F-150 launch, not to mention a stronger position in China.

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Separately, GM is suffering from weaker guidance in China. This is due to increased competition and rising GM truck incentives.

Despite this call, GM has actually had a better year than Ford. GM shares are up nearly 6% year to date, while Ford shares are up just 0.6% in the same time frame.

Ford announced Tuesday that it has begun a “Peer-to-Peer Car Sharing” program and a “multimodal mobility” solution. Under the car sharing plan, the company’s credit division is inviting 14,000 U.S. customers in six cities and 12,000 customers in London to register to rent their Ford-financed vehicles to prescreened drivers for short-term use. Ford’s customers will use a Web-based, mobility app from ride-share company Getaround, while London’s drivers connect through a similar rental system from easyCar Club. The company said that its customers were looking for ways to share the costs of vehicle ownership.

Seemingly this plan is in the same vein as Uber but with a slightly different twist. However, it is most definitely a big step forward for the auto giant in terms of riding this socially progressive wave.

Shares of Ford were up 1.6% at $15.53 on Wednesday afternoon. The stock has a consensus analyst price target of $17.35 and a 52-week trading range of $13.26 to $18.12.

GM shares were down 2.7% at $35.32, in a 52-week trading range of $28.82 to $38.99. The consensus price target is $42.63.

ALSO READ: 13 Cars That Cost More Than They Used To

Photo of Chris Lange
About the Author Chris Lange →

Chris Lange is a writer for 24/7 Wall St., based in Houston. He has covered financial markets over the past decade with an emphasis on healthcare, tech, and IPOs. During this time, he has published thousands of articles with insightful analysis across these complex fields. Currently, Lange's focus is on military and geopolitical topics.

Lange's work has been quoted or mentioned in Forbes, The New York Times, Business Insider, USA Today, MSN, Yahoo, The Verge, Vice, The Intelligencer, Quartz, Nasdaq, The Motley Fool, Fox Business, International Business Times, The Street, Seeking Alpha, Barron’s, Benzinga, and many other major publications.

A graduate of Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas, Lange majored in business with a particular focus on investments. He has previous experience in the banking industry and startups.

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