New York, Feb 13, 2026, 06:33 EST — Early trading hours.
- Ford shares edged up roughly 1% ahead of the open, sticking close to $14
- Reuters reported staff bonuses came in at 130%, following better early-life repair rates.
- The stock goes ex-dividend Friday, with shareholders set to miss out on a 15-cent quarterly payout if they buy after that.
Ford Motor shares ticked higher in premarket hours Friday. The move comes as the stock goes ex-dividend, dropping eligibility for its next quarterly payment.
This early shift carries weight, with investors still sorting out what exactly “better” means for Ford. The company’s just coming off a tough run—EV losses, tariffs, supplier snags—so now it’s all about pushing quality and wringing out cash to stabilize the narrative.
Expect a bumpy start Friday. When a stock goes ex-dividend, it usually falls about the size of the payout—so the tape might appear softer, even if there’s no real shift in sentiment.
Ford shares rebounded, while the wider auto sector sent mixed signals ahead of the open—General Motors hovered near flat, and Tesla slipped.
Investors got a new detail this week as CEO Jim Farley informed employees that Ford’s companywide bonus will come in at 130%, according to sources who spoke with Reuters. Farley credited the bump to gains in “initial vehicle quality”—that is, fewer repairs needed during the first 90 days after purchase. Reuters
According to the report, roughly 75,000 salaried employees worldwide are in line for these payouts, but actual amounts will shift depending on individual performance. Ford’s been working to get a handle on recall and warranty expenses—a headache traders frequently read as a stand-in for execution risk.
Ford earlier this month declared its standard first-quarter dividend: 15 cents per share. The payout lands March 2 for those holding shares as of the close on Feb. 13.
But those 2026 goals still loom large. In its latest earnings release, Ford stuck to its forecast for adjusted EBIT at $8.0 billion to $10.0 billion for this year, with adjusted free cash flow projected between $5.0 billion and $6.0 billion—even as it anticipates a net loss for 2025 due to special charges.
Supply risk hasn’t gone away. Novelis, which supplies aluminum to Ford, is targeting the end of June to finish repairs at its Oswego, New York site after the fire, and expects production to ramp up in the months following that. CEO Steve Fisher told the Wall Street Journal that “restoration work at Oswego continues to move forward steadily,” according to the report. The Wall Street Journal
Then there’s tariffs. According to a New York Fed report out this week, U.S. consumers and businesses are absorbing nearly all the cost via pricier imports. That’s the backdrop. Any fresh policy moves that push automakers’ parts and material costs higher are still on investors’ radar.
Barclays analyst Dan Levy said Ford’s 2026 outlook “largely cleared the bar,” but flagged that the underlying assumptions will still need to hold up in actual results, according to his note on the Street. Investing.com
The risks jump out: supplier recovery might lag, tariff rules sometimes shift, and those quality improvements don’t always translate right away into reduced warranty costs. When a legacy automaker slips, its multiple usually feels it almost immediately.
Traders are eyeing whether Friday’s rally sticks after the cash-dividend adjustment hits at the open. Next up for Ford: the automaker has first-quarter 2026 results lined up for release after the bell on April 28.
