Ford Motor Company F reported robust EBIT performance in the first quarter of 2026, but it posted a significant free cash flow burn, raising questions about why improved earnings were not reflected in full-year cash flow guidance. The company reported adjusted EBIT of $3.5 billion in the first quarter, up from $1 billion reported in the first quarter of 2025, while it posted free cash flow burn of nearly $2 billion compared to adjusted free cash flow burn of $1.5 billion in the year-ago period. Per the company’s first-quarter 2026 earnings transcript, the cash outflow was largely seasonal and tied to working capital dynamics.
The transition from the fourth quarter to the first quarter typically results in higher cash usage. During this period, the company draws down inventory, production slows in the final weeks of the year, and payables are settled. This year, those trends were amplified by disruptions related to Novelis, which further impacted working capital.
The company also increased net spending during the quarter as it continued investing heavily in future growth initiatives, including UEV and BESS projects. Additional cash outflows came from annual compensation bonus payments and marketing incentive spending, both of which are concentrated in the first quarter.
For 2026, Ford has raised its EBIT guidance to $8.5-$10.5 billion, up from the previous outlook of $8-$10 billion, driven by the momentum on the Ford+ plan. While the company expects cash flow trends to also improve over the remainder of the year, it maintained its free cash flow guidance for 2026 in the range of $5-$6 billion due to uncertainty surrounding a potential $1.3 billion IEEPA tariff benefit and broader market volatility. F carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) at present. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
Cash Flow Outlook of Ford’s Competitors
General Motors Company GM expects 2026 capital spending of $10-$12 billion, including spending on U.S. capacity actions, battery cell manufacturing partnerships, and software and services development. Additionally, General Motors’ onshoring and related costs are expected to be heavily weighted to the back half of 2026 as hiring ramps ahead of early 2027 plant operations. With adjusted automotive free cash flow still guided to $9 billion to $11 billion, this spending profile can keep General Motors’ free cash flow tight and increase reliance on execution and timely cost offsets through the second half.
Tesla, Inc. TSLA is entering a large investment phase that is expected to last a couple of years. Tesla expects more than $25 billion of capex across 2025-2026 and projects negative free cash flow for the rest of 2026 as spending ramps across multiple factories and AI-related initiatives. First-quarter 2026 capital expenditures were $2.5 billion, and Tesla’s ongoing orders were tied to projects such as AI infrastructure, new product ramps, and semiconductor and solar manufacturing initiatives. This front-loaded spend increases the risk that cash generation deteriorates before newer revenue streams, such as Robotaxi and Optimus, become material contributors.
F’s Price Performance, Valuation and Estimates
Ford has underperformed the Zacks Automotive-Domestic industry in the last six months. Its shares have lost 7.4% compared with the industry’s decline of 1.5%.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
From a valuation perspective, F appears undervalued. Going by its price/sales ratio, the company is trading at a forward sales multiple of 0.28, lower than the industry’s 3.51.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Ford’s 2026 and 2027 EPS has moved up 5 cents and down 2 cents, respectively, in the past seven days.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).
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