Ford warns of $2.5B hit from Trump tariffs, suspends annual earning forecast

Core Viewpoint - Ford Motor has suspended its annual guidance due to uncertainties surrounding President Trump's tariffs, which are expected to cost the company approximately $1.5 billion in adjusted earnings before interest and taxes [1][7]. Financial Performance - Ford's earnings per share for the first quarter fell to 14 cents, exceeding LSEG analysts' estimate of 2 cents but down from 49 cents a year earlier. Net income dropped to $471 million from $1.3 billion year-over-year [4]. - The company's revenue decreased by 5% to $40.7 billion in the first quarter, surpassing expectations of around $36 billion [5][10]. - Ford's profitable commercial vehicle segment, Ford Pro, reported first-quarter revenue of $15.2 billion, a 16% decline from the previous year [13]. Impact of Tariffs - The tariffs are projected to add $2.5 billion in costs for Ford this year, primarily due to expenses from importing vehicles from Mexico and China [6]. - Ford has managed to reduce about $1 billion of the tariff-related costs through various strategies, including transporting vehicles from Mexico to Canada to avoid US tariffs [8]. Market Position and Strategy - Ford's strategy includes running incentives to capture market share amid consumer concerns over potential price hikes due to tariffs [5]. - Analysts noted that investors have favored Ford over General Motors due to Ford's higher percentage of US sales assembled domestically, with 79% compared to GM's 53% [11]. Electric Vehicle Challenges - The company anticipates losses of up to $5.5 billion on its electric vehicle and software operations this year, having already incurred over $10 billion in losses since 2023 [12]. - Ford has discontinued its efforts to develop a next-generation electrical architecture for its vehicles, known as FNV4, due to delays and rising costs [12].