Ford Ended 2025 With a Strong Statement for Investors

The automotive industry is on the verge of evolving more over the next decade than perhaps the past century. The global fleet is transitioning from internal combustion engines to hybrids and full-electric vehicles; artificial intelligence (AI) is working its way into production, quality inspection, and in the software of autonomous vehicles; and companies such as Tesla are blurring the lines between technology companies and traditional automakers.

But with all that noise going on, investors might have overlooked that Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F) ended 2025 on a high note.

Ford is showing strength in sales

Ford's fourth quarter didn't disappoint, nor did the monthly results, as the Detroit icon outperformed the industry for the 10th consecutive month in December, driving its market share 0.6 percentage points higher.

Ford's total sales jumped 6% in 2025 to top 2.2 million vehicles in the U.S., with overall market share reaching 13.2%. While fourth-quarter sales were up a lesser 2.7%, compared to its annual gain, it still outperformed the market significantly and gained 0.9 percentage points of market share -- it was Ford's best annual and fourth-quarter sales performance since 2019.

Image source: Ford Motor Company.

Said Andrew Frick, president, Ford Blue and Model e, in a press release:

We're growing share and beating the trend because we offer a great range of products, from accessible entry-level models to high-performance off-roaders. Our growth across record hybrid sales shows that our 'power of choice' approach -- offering gas, hybrid, and electric -- is exactly what consumers are looking for right now.

What it means for Ford investors

Beyond the lofty sales figures Ford dished out to investors recently, there were deeper takeaways in the data.

First, Ford's F-Series sold over 820,000 trucks last year, an 8.3% increase, but outsold its nearest competitor by roughly 250,000 trucks -- although the tally favors Ford's rival when combining sales of General Motors' multi-branded full-size trucks. This is critically important to auto investors because full-size trucks and SUVs carry much heftier margins than sedans, and power Ford's bottom line.

Second, Ford recently made a massive pivot to slow its push into full-electric vehicles, and will instead push forward with a focus on hybrids and extended-range vehicles until its new Universal EV Platform is incorporated into operations to lower costs.

On that note, Ford's hybrid sales achieved not only a new fourth-quarter record but also set an annual record with over 228,000 hybrid sales for 2025. What investors might not realize is that while EVs are largely unprofitable -- remember, Ford lost over $5 billion in its Model-e division in 2024 -- hybrids are actually profitable, and sometimes even more so than their internal combustion engine counterparts.

Ultimately, Ford ended 2025 on a strong note with sales, but that's only one part of the equation as the automaker drives through headwinds that include changing trade policy, tariffs, and intensifying competition from Chinese rivals overseas. Overall, it's still a bumpy road right now.

Daniel Miller has positions in Ford Motor Company and General Motors. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Tesla. The Motley Fool recommends General Motors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.