Ford Motor (F) Prelim. FY18 EPS Misses Consensus by $0.03

Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F) today highlighted its commitment to reinvent the future of mobility by transforming the company through operational fitness and allocating capital to high-growth and high-margin product segments and smart vehicles and services.

Presenting at the Deutsche Bank Global Auto Industry Conference in Detroit, the company also provided preliminary results for full-year 2018, provided high-level guidance for 2019 and highlighted areas of strategic momentum throughout the company.

“Over the last 19 months, we have worked to reshape and transform our company – sharpening our competitiveness, taking actions to improve our profitability and returns, and investing in our future. These actions support our drive to satisfy today’s customers – and those of tomorrow,” said Jim Hackett, president and CEO.

Jim Farley, president, Global Markets, shared details of the company’s major global product wave, which focuses on trucks, commercial vehicles and SUVs.

“We are now beginning to see the results of our capital shift away from traditional sedans to trucks and SUVs with new utility nameplates globally, including Territory in China, Bronco, and a slightly smaller, yet-to-be named off-roader in North America,” Farley said. “2018 was a growth year for F-Series, especially Super Duty in North America. Transit and Ranger are now in all global markets in high volume with great potential.”

Farley also outlined actions the company is taking to reshape its regional businesses, including:

North America

• In the next 24 months, Ford is refreshing 75 percent of its lineup, fortifying the company’s successful truck franchise and renewing and expanding the range of SUVs
• Expedition and Navigator posting increases in share; conquesting from competition
• Increasing mix of SUVs, more in line with overall market

Europe

• #1 selling commercial vehicle brand in Europe
• Redesign to strengthen competitive position, improve profitability and returns
• More targeted vehicle lineup within three customer-focused business groups: Commercial vehicles, passenger vehicles and imports

China

• Creating a solid foundation for turnaround with right leadership and right products – including new Territory and Focus
• Intense focus to improve cost structure and improve relationships with partners, including dealer network
• Introducing more than 10 new Ford and Lincoln products in China this year and more than 30 by 2021

South America

• Remain committed to the region with an optimized footprint, targeted to Ford’s strengths
• Focused on reducing structural costs and improving efficiency; administrative headcount reduced by 20 percent in 2018

“We are bolstering our portfolio to capture a healthy share of higher growth and higher profit segments and partnering where appropriate to improve profitability and returns,” Farley said. “I’m very confident in our plan and our ability to execute.”

Bob Shanks, chief financial officer, reported positive company operating results despite external challenges, including commodity costs, unfavorable exchange effects and policy changes. He also cited other factors, including a decline of business in China and higher warranty costs in North America.

“For 2019, we see the potential for year-over-year improvement in company revenue, EBIT and adjusted operating cash flow,” Shanks said. “Our imperative to sustain an investment grade rating and a strong balance sheet remains the foundation of our business. For 2019, we expect to be able to fully fund our business needs, while maintaining cash and liquidity levels at or above our target levels.”

For 2019, Shanks gave other high-level guidance, emphasizing the dynamic and challenging nature of the global external environment:

• Continued GDP growth globally and in major markets, with a deceleration in the rate of growth in the U.S., Europe and China
• Global industry sales volume expected to remain flat compared to 2018
• Commodity costs to remain at the present level through 2019
• Adjusted effective tax rate for 2019 to be in the low 20s – a full 10 percentage points higher than in 2018

2018 Preliminary Results*

For full-year 2018, the company is announcing preliminary EPS results of $0.92, and adjusted EPS of $1.30 – in line with the company’s most recent guidance. The company ended the year with a strong balance sheet, with cash of $23.1 billion and liquidity of $34.2 billion.

(**Street sees FY18 EPS of $1.33)

2018 results also will include the impact of a non-cash pre-tax remeasurement loss of $877 million related to the year-end revaluation of global pension and other postretirement employee benefits (OPEB) plans, also known as pension mark-to-market adjustment. The loss was almost exclusively related to lower asset returns as a result of the deterioration in the financial markets at the end of the year. While the remeasurement generated a mark-to-market loss for accounting purposes, the company’s funded pension plans remain fully funded as a result of the company’s de-risking strategy.

2019 First Quarter Dividend

Ford’s Board of Directors declared a first quarter regular dividend of $0.15 per share on the company’s outstanding Class B and common stock. The first quarter regular dividend maintains the same level as the regular dividends paid in 2018. The first quarter regular dividend is payable on March 1 to shareholders of record at the close of business on Jan. 31. In 2018, we distributed $3.1 billion to shareholders and by year-end 2018, cumulative distributions to shareholders totaled $18.4 billion since the company’s regular dividend was restored in 2012.

To access the presentation materials and a listen-only audio webcast, visit www.shareholder.ford.com.

*This release includes Ford’s preliminary view of 2018 results. Ford’s actual results could differ materially from the preliminary results included in this release. Ford will provide additional detail on 2018 results in its earnings presentation on January 23, 2019. Ford’s Annual Report on Form 10-K, which will be filed in February, will include Ford’s audited financial results.

Note: See table later in this release for reconciliation of the non-GAAP financial measure designated as “adjusted earnings per share” to “earnings per share,” the most comparable financial measure calculated in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”). Adjusted earnings per share is a non-GAAP financial measure because it excludes special items. The measure provides investors with useful information to evaluate the performance of Ford’s business excluding items not indicative of the underlying run rate.

Preliminary Company Earnings Per Share Reconciliation to Adjusted Earnings Per Share

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