Media reports on the company’s 1st Quarter Financial Results, announced yesterday, have been generally positive – including feedback from Wall Street analysts who note that while many challenges remain, the company is making progress. A snapshot:
- “So far, so good. If there was a message to be read in Ford Motor Co.’s first-quarter earnings, that was it. Those expecting more bad news were surprised by the company’s better-than-expected net loss of $282 million that far surpassed Wall Street’s expectations and triggered a modest rally in Ford’s stock. But the numbers released Thursday also show the battle to return the company to profitability is far from over. In fact, it has just begun. ‘Although our first-quarter results are encouraging, we still have a long way to go,’ CEO Alan Mulally told reporters and analysts during a conference call. But ‘the basics of our business are improving.’” — “Ford Rebound Gains Ground”, Detroit News, 4-27-07
- The Detroit Free Press noted that the three-month performance was reported by analysts to be “not as bad as feared” by Morgan Stanley; “stronger than expected” by Goldman Sachs, and “sharply better than expected” by J.P. Morgan.
- “They really took a lot of the costs out,” said analyst Bradley Rubin of BNP Paribas. “It’s going to difficult to sustain this through the rest of the year, but it seems like they’re starting to turn the corner.”
- “Ford shares got a jumpstart Thursday after the automaker posted a big improvement on its first-quarter bottom line, beating estimates on Wall Street despite further weakness at its core automotive business in North America.” — The Street.com
- “Ford reported a better-than-expected first-quarter loss of $0.09 per share, or $171 million, excluding items. Analysts had forecast a loss of $0.60 per share.” — CNBC “Squawk Box” live shot with Phil LeBeau
Customer Feedback Needed!
Every dealer has some success stories to tell. In an effort to drive more buzz on our newest vehicles, we would like to highlight some recent success stories featuring either conquests or returning loyal customers along with the other good news we’re sharing with media. Customer anecdotes can be very effective in communicating that a product is a hit, and sometimes shed new light for a reporter on other positive story angles. Please let me know if you or anyone on your sales team has a surprising conquest to report, or if one of your loyal Ford or Lincoln Mercury customers would be willing to tell the press why he chose his great new product. [Thanks in advance!]
Coming Next Week:
Tuesday, May 1: The Midwest Auto Media Association’s (MAMA) spring drive event begins in Chicago, where local media will drive new products from all manufacturers, including the Ford Edge, Fusion AWD, Escape Hybrid, F-250 Super Duty and Shelby GT500; Mercury Mariner; and Lincoln MKZ and MKX.
Thursday, May 3: Sue Cischke, Ford’s new Senior Vice President of Sustainability Environment and Safety Engineering, will participate in the Goldman Sachs Annual Alternative Energy Conference
Lydia Cisaruk__________________
Ford Motor Company Public Affairs
( (313) 33-78299 ÊFAX (313) 32-20170
* lcisaruk@ford.com
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