Stock Market Today, July 29: Ford Beats Earnings, Raises 2026 Guidance on Production Strength
Ford Motor (NYSE:F), the global automaker focused on trucks, commercial vans, SUVs, and Lincoln luxury vehicles, closed at $15.28, up 2.14%. An earnings beat and a guidance increase drove the move, while investors are watching margins and continued quality improvements next.
Trading volume reached 92.2 million shares, coming in about 44% above its three-month average of 64.1 million shares.
How the markets moved today
The S&P 500 (SNPINDEX:^GSPC) fell 1.52% to 7,316, while Nasdaq Composite (NASDAQINDEX:^IXIC) dropped 1.74% to 24,443 on a day that the Federal Reserve kept interest rates unchanged. Among other automobile manufacturers, General Motors (NYSE:GM) fell 1.00% to $89.40, while Toyota Motor (NYSE:TM) rose 3.51% to $192.84 as investors weighed earnings strength and U.S. production plans.
What this means for investors
Investors cheered Ford’s earnings beat and move to increase full-year 2026 guidance. Management meaningfully boosted the low end of expected adjusted earnings, while also raising the upper end of the range by $500 million to $10.5 billion. Even with capital expenditure plans unchanged, the company now sees an additional $1 billion in adjusted free cash flow.
Ford has many moving parts across its consumer, commercial, and electric vehicle segments, but one focus for investors is the persistent product quality headwinds affecting its results. There was good news here, though, that helps explain today's stock move.
The company said it remains on track to see $1 billion in material and warranty cost reductions this year. Continuous improvement on that front can keep Ford stock moving higher.
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Howard Smith has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends General Motors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
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