GM Vs Ford: Which Automaker is the Better Investment for 2026?

Core Insights - General Motors (GM) and Ford (F) have shown strong stock performance in 2025, outperforming the broader market and most auto peers, including Tesla (TSLA) [1] - Both companies have reported better-than-expected financial results despite concerns over EV growth and tariffs [1] Group 1: Stock Performance - GM stock has increased by 65% over the past year, reaching all-time highs of over $80 per share, while Ford shares have risen more than 40%, nearing a 52-week peak of $14 [2] - GM's strong cash generation and stock repurchase program have excited investors, while Ford's operational execution is gaining optimism amid restructuring and cost-cutting initiatives [2] Group 2: EV Sales Performance - GM sold a record 169,887 EVs in 2025, a 48% increase from 2024, despite a decline in Q4 EV sales to 25,219 from 43,982 in Q4 2024 [5] - Ford sold 84,113 EVs in 2025, a 14% decrease from 2024, with Q4 EV sales dropping over 50% to 14,500 [6] - GM finished 2025 as the second-best-selling EV maker in the U.S., while Ford ranked third, selling half as many EVs as GM [5][6] Group 3: Financial Outlook - GM's FY25 earnings per share (EPS) is estimated to dip 2% to $10.33, but FY26 EPS is projected to rise 14% to $11.81 [8] - Ford's FY25 EPS is expected to drop significantly to $1.08 from $1.84 in 2024, primarily due to a $2.5 billion impact from tariffs, with FY26 EPS projected to rebound to $1.42 [10] Group 4: Return on Invested Capital (ROIC) - GM has a higher ROIC of 4.6% compared to Ford's 2.7%, with both companies operating in a low-margin environment [13] - The transition to EVs is capital-intensive, impacting ROIC as investments are made before generating significant profits [13] Group 5: Valuation and Dividends - Both GM and Ford are trading under 11X forward earnings, with GM having a cheaper P/E multiple of 7X compared to Ford's 10X [14][15] - Ford offers a higher annual dividend yield of 4.23% compared to GM's 0.72%, but GM's annual dividend has increased by 20.46% over the last five years, while Ford's has grown by 8.71% [16] Group 6: Investment Ratings - GM's earnings momentum has led to a Zacks Rank 1 (Strong Buy), while Ford currently holds a Zacks Rank 3 (Hold) [20]