NEW YORK, Jan 8, 2026, 12:50 EST — Regular session
Ford Motor (F.N) shares rose 4.7% to $14.39 by midday on Thursday after Piper Sandler upgraded the automaker to “overweight,” a call for the stock to outperform. The gain came as the broader S&P 500 was little changed. Reuters
The upgrade lands as investors look for signs Detroit is finding profit again after a rough stretch for electric-vehicle bets and pricing. Ford this week reported a 6% rise in 2025 U.S. sales, leaning on hybrids and its compact Maverick pickup while electric-vehicle sales growth cooled. Reuters
Ford has also put a date on its next software push: a Level 3 driver-assistance system in 2028. Level 3 means the car can drive itself in limited conditions and the driver can look away, but must be ready to take over; Tesla’s system is still considered Level 2, which requires eyes on the road. “Should it be a subscription? … We’re focused right now on making it super affordable,” Ford EV and digital chief Doug Field said about pricing. Reuters
Piper Sandler raised its price target on Ford to $16 from $11 and said Ford’s electric-vehicle “capitulation” was a “welcome development.” The broker pointed to Ford’s next-generation EV platform and argued it borrows from the manufacturing playbook used by Tesla and Chinese automakers. TipRanks
A Jan. 6 SEC filing showed Ford submitted its U.S. sales release as an exhibit. Ford said total 2025 U.S. sales rose to 2,204,124 vehicles and market share reached 13.2%, while hybrid sales climbed nearly 22% to 228,072 units; Maverick sales rose about 18% to 155,051. “Ford has the right product and powertrain offering,” said Andrew Frick, president of Ford Blue and Model e. SEC+1
But the path is not clean. Ford on Thursday recalled 45,047 Mustang Mach-E SUVs from model years 2025-2026 over a software issue that can cause multiple exterior lights to go dark, a reminder that warranty and repair costs can still bite even as Wall Street cheers a reset. Kbb.com
Investors’ next hard check comes with quarterly results. Ford’s next earnings date is Feb. 10 after the market, Wall Street Horizon shows, with traders watching for 2026 margin targets, warranty-cost trends and any clearer timeline for pricing and rollout of the 2028 driver-assistance package. wallstreethorizon.com
