Ford Stock Surges After Strong Q3 Earnings, But Aluminum Plant Fire Hits F-150 and SUV Production
The fire at the Novelis aluminum plant in New York disrupted production of Ford’s F-150 pickups and SUVs, and the company now expects a 2025 adjusted EBIT headwind of $1.5 billion to $2 billion, as per a Yahoo Finance report. The full impact will be reflected in Ford’s fourth-quarter results. The automaker expects to mitigate at least $1 billion of this adjusted EBIT hit in 2026.
Ford Lowers Full-Year Guidance
As a result, Ford lowered its full-year guidance, projecting adjusted EBIT of $6 billion to $6.5 billion, down from a previous range of $6.5 billion to $7.5 billion. Adjusted free cash flow is now expected at $2 billion to $3 billion, down from $3.5 billion to $4.5 billion, as per the report. Ford said capital expenditures of around $9 billion remain unchanged.
CFO Sherry House said the company would have easily surpassed its full-year guidance if not for the Novelis fire, tracking at more than $8 billion in adjusted EBIT. COO Kumar Galhotra added that F-150 production would see disruptions in the coming weeks, reported Yahoo Finance.
Novelis Restart Expected This Year
Investors were reassured by reports that Novelis plans to restart the plant later this year, rather than in 2026, which helped push Ford’s stock back up after an earlier 3% drop, as per the report.
Ford’s Plans to Boost Truck Production in 2026
Ford also announced plans to increase F-150 and F-Series Super Duty production by more than 50,000 trucks in 2026 to recover lost production, as per the report. Production of the F-150 Lightning EV will remain paused for now, as the company prioritizes gas and hybrid truck output, as per the Yahoo Finance report.ALSO READ: Target layoffs 2025 explained: Why is the retailer cutting 1,800 corporate jobs & which roles are impacted
Ford Q3 Results Beat Expectations
The company’s Q3 results exceeded expectations, with automotive revenue of $47.185 billion versus the $43.7 billion consensus estimate and adjusted EPS of $0.45, beating the expected $0.36, as per the report. Adjusted EBIT came in at $2.6 billion, above the $2.02 billion forecast, as per the Yahoo Finance report.
As per Bloomberg, Q3 estimates include $28 billion in revenue and $1.54 billion EBIT for Ford Blue, $1.8 billion in revenue and -$1.41 billion EBIT for Model e, and $17.4 billion in revenue with $1.985 billion EBIT for Ford Pro, as reported by Yahoo Finance.
Impact of Auto Tariffs
Ford is also contending with $700 million in costs from US president Donald Trump’s auto tariffs for Q3, bringing the full-year net impact to $1 billion. Offsets introduced by the White House are expected to reduce some of that burden for domestic automakers, including Ford, which produces 80% of its vehicles in the US, as per the Yahoo Finance report.
Ford+ Business Structure
Under the Ford+ plan, the company divides its business into three units: Ford Blue for traditional gas-powered vehicles, Model e for electric vehicles, and Ford Pro for commercial and super-duty trucks, as per the report.
Ford’s Strong Q3 Sales Driven by Trucks
Overall sales in Q3 totaled 545,522 units, up 8.2% from a year ago. Truck and van sales, including F-Series, Ranger, and Maverick models, jumped 7.4% to 313,654 units, with F-Series trucks alone up nearly 13% year-to-date, as per the report.
FAQs
Why did Ford stock jump today after hours?
Ford beat Wall Street’s Q3 revenue and earnings expectations, boosting investor confidence.
How did the Novelis aluminum plant fire affect Ford?
It disrupted F-150 and SUV production, creating a $1.5B–$2B hit to adjusted EBIT in 2025.
