Legacy automaker Ford (F) has been actively fighting affordability problems, particularly of late. In fact, reports note that the impact of losing its cheapest model, the Escape, is already starting to make itself known. But Ford investors feel optimistic nonetheless, and sent Ford shares up nearly 3.5% in the closing minutes of Tuesday’s trading.
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The Escape was once known as Ford’s “bread and butter,” and sales were brisk. But Ford pulled the Escape from the United States market, a move that left outsiders perplexed. The impact of that move is starting to reveal itself, and disturbing questions about what Ford plans to replace one of its hottest sellers with are following word of the impact.
Before Ford shut down the Escape, it sold 139,387 units in the United States, which actually made it sell better than the Ford Bronco Sport, which sold 134,493 units that same year. More distressing for Ford was that the Escape represented over half of Ford’s crossover sales in the United States, and without the Escape, that means 2026’s sales look all but doomed to decline. That is, unless Ford can replace the Escape with something nearly as good. Though what that something would be is unclear at best.
A New Face in Battery Storage
Meanwhile, Ford also elevated Lisa Drake to the presidency of Ford Energy, a move which will put her in charge of Ford’s efforts in battery energy storage. Drake was previously vice president of electric vehicle systems, and given that Ford’s electric vehicle systems have been curtailed significantly for now, Drake needed to go somewhere.
Ford’s chairman, John Lawler, noted, “Lisa has deep expertise in scaling complex industrial systems and securing critical supply chains. Her leadership is essential as we stand up Ford Energy to capture the growing demand for reliable battery energy storage that supports grid stability and resilience for utilities and large energy users.”
Is Ford Stock a Good Buy Right Now?
Turning to Wall Street, analysts have a Hold consensus rating on F stock based on two Buys, 11 Holds and one Sell assigned in the past three months, as indicated by the graphic below. After a 33.33% rally in its share price over the past year, the average F price target of $13.87 per share implies 0.29% downside risk.
