Ford Motor’s core earnings for the quarter fell roughly 50% to about $1 billion, with management attributing part of the decline to elevated costs stemming from a severe fire at an aluminum supplier and tariff-related expenses. The automaker also posted a fourth-quarter net loss of $11.1 billion, driven by previously disclosed writedowns tied to its electric vehicle programs.
Adjusted earnings per share for the quarter were 13 cents, below analyst projections of 19 cents per share. Despite the shortfall, Ford’s shares climbed nearly 2% in aftermarket trading following the results.
Financials and outlook
Looking beyond the quarterly setback, Ford forecasted earnings before interest and taxes of $8 billion to $10 billion for 2026, a range that sits within the mean expectation from LSEG analysts of $8.78 billion. Management emphasized that ongoing cost reduction efforts and the roll-out of competitively priced, high-tech models underpin that longer-term outlook.
For the current year, Ford expects roughly $2 billion in costs tied to tariffs imposed by the U.S. administration, much of which is associated with sourcing aluminum for high-volume vehicles such as the F-150 pickup.
The automaker narrowly missed its revised guidance for the year, delivering $6.8 billion in EBIT versus the $7 billion target it had set earlier.
Drivers of the miss
Ford’s finance chief said that a late update from the administration reduced the tariff relief the company anticipated on imported auto parts. That guidance change added about $900 million in costs, which the company says was a material factor in missing its profit guidance for the year.
Compounding tariff impacts, a plant near Oswego, New York that endured two major fires last year is not expected to be fully operational until between May and September of this year. The outage from that aluminum supplier weighed on Ford’s results to a greater degree than previously projected.
Revenue in the fourth quarter came in at $45.9 billion, a figure that beat analysts’ expectations despite the headline earnings miss.
EV strategy and write-downs
Ford’s chief executive reiterated a focus on rapidly developing advanced vehicle platforms at lower price points, including work on a $30,000 electric vehicle platform. Management said an electric pickup built on that architecture will begin rolling out next year; the model was developed by a California-based team and is central to Ford’s push to shorten development cycles and accelerate commercialization.
The company intentionally separated its EV unit from its Michigan operation to cultivate a different design and production approach, aiming to match the faster pace of some competitors. However, Ford has also written down several earlier EV programs, announcing a collective $19.5 billion charge in December that will be recognized across multiple quarters.
Ford recorded $4.8 billion in losses in its EV and software unit last year, and it expects those losses to be between $4 billion and $4.5 billion this year.
Other large automakers have made similar moves: General Motors said it will take about $7.6 billion in charges related to EV production changes, while Stellantis disclosed roughly $26.5 billion in charges across its global lineup.
Ford also pointed to a dampening of EV demand after the U.S. Congress eliminated a $7,500 consumer tax credit, a development that complicates efforts to reach profitability in the EV business.
Cost discipline, partnerships and manufacturing strategy
Cost reduction remains a central priority. Ford has pursued partnerships to share development and production costs globally. The company is partnering with Renault in Europe to produce EVs, and it has been in talks with Chinese automaker Geely regarding potential production and technology collaboration.
Management is also focused on reducing warranty and recall expenses, an area in which Ford has faced industry-high counts and significant costs. The CEO has made cutting these liabilities a priority since taking the helm.
Market performance and peer comparison
Over the past year, Ford’s stock has risen about 47% to roughly $14 a share. By contrast, General Motors’ shares climbed about 72% to around $80 a share over the same period, supported by results that often exceeded analyst expectations. Stellantis shares fell sharply last week following its EV writedown, leaving the stock down about 42% over the year to roughly $7 a share.
What this means for markets and materials
From a materials and supply-chain standpoint, the combined effect of tariff pressures and a major supplier fire highlights the sensitivity of automotive margins to upstream disruptions in aluminum and other inputs. Management has tied the company’s near-term profitability outlook to both operational fixes and product competitiveness, particularly on a lower-cost electric vehicle platform and an electric pickup that management views as pivotal.
Ford’s path to the targeted 2026 EBIT range rests on mitigating the remaining tariff and supplier impacts, executing its cost-reduction programs, and stabilizing demand and margins in its EV and software business.