New York, May 29, 2026, 18:06 EDT
- Ford added 4.74% to finish at $17.44 on Friday, with shares hitting a 52-week high of $17.78 in the session. The stock was last at $17.48 in after-hours trading.
- BofA Securities moved its Ford target up to $20 from $17. Deutsche Bank increased its target to $15 from $12 while keeping a Hold.
- Trade policy is the new risk. The Trump administration is pushing for stricter USMCA content requirements for North American autos, Reuters said.
Ford Motor shares rose Friday, building on their strong May run as traders stuck with the automaker’s latest move into energy storage. Some auto names were under pressure after new U.S.-Mexico trade talks.
Ford shares ended the session at $17.44, up 4.74%. The stock last traded at $17.48 in late New York moves. The day saw a high of $17.78, the best level in a year. Over 154 million shares traded, topping the recent average.
Ford isn’t just a truck and SUV company to the market now. Investors have started to put a value on a new angle: batteries for power grids and data centers. Growing electricity needs from artificial intelligence are bringing that field into focus.
Analysts pushed the tone higher. BofA Securities moved its price target up to $20 from $17. Deutsche Bank took its target to $15 from $12 but stuck with Hold. MarketScreener data put the average analyst consensus still at Hold with a mean target of $14.05, under Friday’s close.
Stocks closed higher, led by the Dow up 0.72%. The S&P 500 ended 0.22% higher, the Nasdaq gained 0.21%. All three indexes hit new records, Reuters reported. Ford outperformed as General Motors dropped 1.32% and Tesla also fell, MarketWatch data showed.
Ford Energy’s trade picked up this month after the company introduced its battery energy-storage systems business. Battery energy-storage systems, or BESS, are big battery units that store and release energy for grids, data centers and industrial buyers. Reuters said on May 13 that Ford shares jumped 13% after Morgan Stanley called out the new business, Ford’s $2 billion spend and a target to roll out at least 20 gigawatt-hours every year.
Ford Energy has lined up a five-year framework deal with EDF power solutions North America. The deal lets EDF buy as much as 4 gigawatt-hours per year of Ford’s DC Block storage, for a total up to 20 gigawatt-hours if the contract runs to term. Deliveries would start in 2028.
Ford Energy president Lisa Drake said the EDF deal showed demand for a supplier with “industrial-scale manufacturing discipline,” adding, “We are not simply delivering hardware.” Tristan Grimbert, who runs EDF power solutions North America, called supply chain reliability and product quality “paramount.” Business Wire
Ford posted first-quarter revenue of $43.3 billion, net income at $2.5 billion and adjusted EBIT at $3.5 billion. Adjusted EBIT is earnings before interest and taxes after certain items are left out. The company also lifted its forecast for full-year adjusted EBIT to a range of $8.5 billion to $10.5 billion. CEO Jim Farley said the quarter showed “momentum of the Ford+ plan.” MarketScreener
The rally is hitting policy trouble. Reuters said Friday the Trump administration wants cars made in North America to have 82% local content for USMCA trade benefits, and half of that would need to come from the U.S. Right now, USMCA demands 75% regional content, with separate high-wage rules.
Ford could end up helped or hurt. Tougher U.S. content rules might benefit carmakers with lots of U.S. plants, but they could also bump up costs or slow down suppliers and production choices for the industry. The S&P automaker index dropped after news of the stricter draft, and shares of GM and Stellantis lost ground too, Reuters reported.
Ford is still showing some issues in its own business. The Model e EV segment lost $777 million last quarter. Ford expects Model e to lose $4.0 billion to $4.5 billion for the year. Ford also pointed to commodity headwinds of about $2 billion, and about $1 billion in tariff impacts, not including specific benefits and some short-term costs.
Ford heads into the week after a sharp rally, and investors are looking to see if shares can hold the new level. Moves in energy-storage premiums could shift if trade news changes. U.S. and Mexican teams wrapped up an initial USMCA review round on Friday. More talks are scheduled in Washington for June 16-17, according to Reuters.
