New York, Feb 23, 2026, 06:52 EST — Before the bell
- Ford slipped roughly 0.3% before the bell, following a 1.7% gain on Friday.
- After a Supreme Court decision and President Donald Trump’s latest tariff move, markets are once again zeroing in on U.S. trade policy.
- Traders are eyeing Tuesday’s tariff shifts, while also tracking U.S. data out this week for hints about demand and interest rates.
Ford Motor Co shares edged down 0.3% to $13.97 in Monday’s premarket action, pulling back after a 1.7% gain Friday that left the stock at $14.01. StockAnalysis
U.S. stock index futures slipped before the opening bell, as traders digested fresh tariff confusion. President Donald Trump unveiled a new 15% duty, despite the Supreme Court knocking down his broader tariff package. “It’s really hard…to know how do you plan if you’re not even sure about suppliers, supply chains and what the tariffs are going to look like,” said Arthur Laffer Jr., president of Laffer Tengler Investments. Reuters
Trade policy seemed to be calming down, but that didn’t last. “You want to know the rules of the road before you get in the car,” European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde said on CBS’s “Face the Nation.” She pointed out that shifting rules throw off hiring, pricing, and investment plans. Reuters
On Friday, the Supreme Court threw out the bulk of tariffs Trump enacted last year under emergency powers, in a 6-3 ruling. Trump didn’t wait long to shift gears, this time leaning on Section 122, a lesser-known legal tool. That statute lets him levy tariffs up to 15%, but any extension past 150 days needs Congress to sign off, Reuters reported. Reuters
U.S. Customs and Border Protection will halt collection of the court-invalidated tariffs starting at 12:01 a.m. EST Tuesday, deactivating the relevant tariff codes. The agency hasn’t clarified what the process will be for potential refunds, though the new 15% global tariff is about to kick in. Reuters
Ford is once again feeling the sting of tariffs. This month, the company told investors it’s bracing for roughly $2 billion in tariff costs in 2026, much of that hitting aluminum used in its profitable F-150 line. Last year’s updated guidance didn’t deliver the break Ford had hoped for on imported parts, Chief Financial Officer Sherry House said, tacking on around $900 million in extra expenses. CEO Jim Farley, meanwhile, has been pushing hard for cost cuts and new partnerships, trying to keep Ford’s hybrid and EV strategy afloat despite hefty write-downs. Reuters
The route from court decision to cheaper costs isn’t direct. Should the new levy hold, or if ongoing lawsuits and shifting import rules keep the landscape unsettled, automakers may be in for more on-again, off-again calls on pricing and sourcing. That’s a setup that typically squeezes margins—and could threaten demand if sticker prices start to edge up.
Beyond trading moves, investors are eyeing this week’s economic data for any hints on rate direction—key for car-loan costs. Several Fed officials are scheduled to make appearances, while the Conference Board’s consumer confidence numbers land Tuesday. The Producer Price Index wraps up the week’s main releases on Friday. Kiplinger
Coming up fast, Ford faces another key test: U.S. February auto sales drop March 3. That’s the first big gauge of how much steeper borrowing and tariff chatter are starting to sway shoppers. motorintelligence.com
