If there is one acronym that most workers can get behind their hatred of, it is probably RTO. Otherwise known as Return to Office, these mandates are taking away one of the biggest perks workers have ever relished. And a closer look at how legacy automaker Ford’s (F) RTO stacks up to other Michigan companies is proving quite interesting. But Ford investors are not exactly happy, and shares slipped fractionally in Tuesday afternoon’s trading.
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Ford’s RTO policy officially kicked in yesterday, though it was a safe bet that nobody had indeed R’d to the O, what with it being Labor Day and all. But Ford has high hopes for getting everyone back in the building for four days a week, with the plan making Ford a “…higher growth, higher margin, less cyclical and more dynamic company.” How an RTO policy does that is unclear at best.
And while other companies are bringing in RTO policies, there are growing concerns that this may not have the impact Ford wants. Several employees, speaking to The Detroit News anonymously out of “fear of repercussions on their jobs”—a point which in and of itself is a problem—expressed concerns. Some said they disliked feeling “micromanaged,” and noted that they were not only getting more done at home, but also working longer, since they no longer had a commute to factor in.
Scanners Detect…Something
A new Ford patent also emerged, which may give future Ford cars a little extra science fiction edge. The patent in question covered a “…visibility obstruction detection system…” that would activate key features during difficult conditions. This basically allows the vehicle to detect bad weather—rain, fog banks, what have you—and then offer the driver information about how to best address conditions.
Whether this would help anything or simply add one more indicator that ultimately gets ignored in favor of the driver watching where he or she is going instead is unclear. Still, there are some potential applications here that may prove useful. And of course, the patent may never get put to use in the first place.
Is Ford Stock a Good Buy Right Now?
Turning to Wall Street, analysts have a Hold consensus rating on F stock based on three Buys, eight Holds and three Sells assigned in the past three months, as indicated by the graphic below. After a 7.19% rally in its share price over the past year, the average F price target of $10.77 per share implies 7.75% downside risk.
