Why Ford Stock Is Down Today

What took place

Shares of Ford Motor Organization (NYSE:F) ended up trading down on Wednesday, just after the firm previewed a collection of a single-time things it expects to report with its fourth-quarter earnings. 

As of 1 p.m. ET, Ford’s shares were being down about 7.2{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} from Tuesday’s closing cost.

So what

At initial glance, Ford’s preview, unveiled just after the U.S. markets shut on Tuesday, was superior information. The company stated it will report a fourth-quarter attain of $8.2 billion on its stake in Rivian Automotive (NASDAQ:RIVN), which went public late final year. Ford mentioned it will also comprehend a $3.5 billion accounting acquire from its yearly pension-fund remeasurement, and a $3.6 billion tax advantage associated to its international restructuring.

That all seems very good, suitable? So why is the stock down?

This will choose a minimal little bit of describing. Back again in the initially quarter of 2021, Ford documented a about $900 million obtain on its Rivian expenditure, dependent on the valuation made use of in the then-personal start out-up’s most current funding round. At the time, Ford regarded that acquire as cash flow, not as a a single-time product. 

Then, all through Ford’s third-quarter earnings contact in October, Ford CFO John Lawler mentioned that after Rivian went general public, Ford would retroactively recategorize that $900 million get as a a single-time item, not as money. 

Ford’s financial commitment in Rivian has developed handsomely, but a related accounting shift appears to have induced a provide-off right now. Picture source: Ford Motor Business.

In yesterday’s push release, Ford reminded buyers of that recategorization system — and mentioned that it will have an affect on the steerage Ford gave in the course of that exact 3rd-quarter simply call, when it mentioned its full-12 months altered earnings just before fascination and tax would appear in between $10.5 billion and $11.5 billion, mainly because that assortment assumed that the $900 million would still count as profits at yr-stop. 

But because Rivian went public in advance of yr-conclude, it would not be counted as component of Ford’s 2021 income. Put simply just, Ford has effectively revised its entire-yr earnings steerage lower for the reason that of an accounting improve linked to the timing of Rivian’s preliminary general public supplying. 

The change would not have an effect on the long-phrase financial commitment case for Ford in any meaningful way. But simply because the traders and algorithms are viewing yesterday’s information as a “advice lower,” Ford’s inventory is getting clobbered now.

Now what

Vehicle investors can search forward to Ford’s fourth-quarter and total-year earnings report on Feb. 3 soon after the U.S. marketplaces shut, all through which — we hope — Ford will make obvious to Wall Avenue that this accounting alter experienced no content impact on its finances.