Ford Down 1.5% Pre-Market As Fire At Key F-150 Supplier Could Disrupt Operations For Months: Toyota, Jeep-Maker Stellantis Also Affected - Ford Motor (NYSE:F)

Core Insights - A fire at a key supplier, Novelis, could disrupt Ford Motor Co.'s production operations for months [1][2] - Novelis supplies approximately 40% of the aluminum sheets used in the U.S. auto industry, with Ford being its largest customer [3] - Ford and other automakers are working on alternative supply chains to mitigate production disruptions [4] Group 1: Incident Impact - The fire incident at Novelis' aluminum plant has rendered about 40% of the facility offline until early next year [2] - Ford's stock was down 1.57% in pre-market trading following the news of the fire [3] Group 2: Supply Chain Response - Ford, Toyota, and Stellantis are actively seeking alternative supply chains to minimize production disruptions caused by the fire [4] - Novelis plans to utilize its overseas plants to serve U.S. customers in response to the incident [5] Group 3: Ford's Operational Challenges - Ford is facing a shortage of skilled technicians, resulting in an average repair wait time of about 2 weeks [6] - The company has over 6,000 empty service bays due to the technician shortage [6] - Ford is also dealing with multiple vehicle recalls, including a recent recall of 115,000 F-250, 350, and 450 pickup trucks [7] Group 4: Electric Vehicle Initiatives - Ford has extended benefits for electric vehicles in the U.S. by facilitating small down payments to dealers, qualifying vehicles for Federal EV credits [8] Group 5: Financial Metrics - Ford scores well on Momentum and Value metrics, with satisfactory Growth and Quality ratings, and shows a favorable price trend in the short, medium, and long term [9]