Ford Motor Co. on Wednesday jolted investors after the market closed by reporting that its second-quarter loss was more than double previously reported. Though Ford shares were up almost 6 percent on news that it hired a former Goldman Sachs investment banker to explore sales of assets, including some of Ford's brands such as Jaguar, it later reported it lost $254 million in the quarter due to worse than expected pension related losses, not the $123 million it reported. The previously reported loss was already much worse than analysts expected.

Ford also said after the market closed that it now forecasts that its Premier Auto Group-made up of Jaguar, Land Rover, Volvo and Aston Martin, will lose money this year. The division was previously projected to make a small profit, down from a larger profit predicted in January. Ford blamed the change on slipping sales.

Ford also confirmed Wednesday that it hired former Goldman Sachs mergers and acquisitions specialist Kenneth Leet to help chairman and CEO Bill Ford and the automaker's board sort out possible alliances with other automakers and sales of certain assets to raise cash.



At the center of speculation about Leet's work is whether or not Ford will look to tie up with another major automaker such as Renault/Nissan, should the French-Japanese company's negotiations with GM not bear fruit, or perhaps Toyota or Honda. Leet's other focus will be exploring, valuing and counseling over the future of Mercury, Volvo, Jaguar, Land Rover and Aston Martin in Ford's portfolio, as well as whether Ford should seek to sell a stake in Ford Motor Credit.



Generally, Wall Street applauded the move, and Ford shares climbed 5.7 percent to $6.96 on the prospect that Ford was showing signs of making bigger structural moves in the company than previously announced. Goldman Sachs analyst Robert Barry said, "We think the most significant near term implication of any such news would be

symbolic - that Ford (the company as well as CEO Bill Ford and the Ford family) is willing to take a more aggressive stance towards fixing the business, that there are no 'sacred cows.' This is a positive. In our view, no harm and possibly some good could come from having an outside adviser review Ford's assets."



At the center of asset sales are whether Ford can or should sell all or part of its portfolio of British brands. While Land Rover and Aston Martin are currently profitable, Jaguar is still climbing out of a deep financial abyss created when Ford targeted the brand for 200,000 sales a year worldwide. Though the brands would be hard to value, says analysts, because of how intertwined distribution and product development has become with Ford, Volvo and Mazda, selling the British brands off would at least better focus capital investment and management attention on the brands and businesses that have the most upside in Ford's hands-Ford, Lincoln and Volvo, plus its ongoing one-third stake in Mazda. "Closing, selling or 'JVing' [joint-venturing] money-losing Jaguar would likely be difficult, but positive," says Robert Barry.



Despite recent comments by Bill Ford that the company is "committed to all its brands," the move to re-evaluate is being driven by worsening financial results and market share losses with a darkening outlook for turnaround. Ford sent out an employee memo on Wednesday stating that the company was exploring new options. Mark Fields says the company will be profitable by 2008. But the company is now bracing for sustained $3 plus per gallon gas prices, possibly heading to $4, which will play havoc on its SUV and pickup truck business.



Ford first announced that it had lost $123 million in the second quarter, a period in which Ford Motor Credit's performance wasn't enough to offset worsening financials in the North American auto business. It was a far worse result than analysts projected, though Ford hasn't been giving guidance.



Asset sales at Ford wouldn't necessarily bring a lot of new cash in. A 51 percent stake in Ford Motor Credit, says analysts, would only bring about $6 billion at most. GM figures to get $14 billion out of a 51-percent sales of GMAC. But Ford is an almost pure auto financing company, without the mortgage lending and insurance businesses that make GMAC attractive. Indeed, Ford could have trouble attracting a buyer.



Jaguar, Land Rover and Aston Martin would probably attract interest from private equity or a Chinese automaker. Ford could sell it all or maintain a 49-percent stake and give up management of the brands. Such a deal would not return a lot of cash, but pare headcount, labor costs in the U.K. and attention required by top management. One of the big headaches of such a deal would be the expensive British labor force, and the political wrangling in the U.K. Ford would need to do to get out of its labor contracts and not create backlash against its Ford products. Ford is the biggest automaker in the U.K.



Ford insiders say the move to re-evaluate some of the company's basic structure has been pushed not only by Ford board members John Thornton and Robert Rubin, former Goldman Sachs execs who are close to the Ford family, but the by the family itself, which controls the voting stock of the automaker. The moves at General Motors to explore a tie-up with Renault/Nissan and the world's biggest automaker's moves recently to dissolve alliances with companies like Suzuki and Fuji Heavy Industries has put a tailwind behind GM's stock and outlook by Wall Street.



Meantime, Wall Street analysts have been grousing that Ford not only has a too-thin product portfolio plan going forward, but that it has become less communicative in the last year just at the time when it should be more so.

Aug. 18 (Bloomberg) -- Ford Motor Co., after losing U.S. market share for a decade, is preparing to eliminate 6,000 salaried jobs in North America next month, according to a person with knowledge of the plan.

The reductions are equal to more than 16 percent of the white-collar workforce at Ford, the second-largest U.S. automaker, and come on top of a plan to eliminate as many as 30,000 jobs in North America by 2012.

Ford and General Motors Corp. have lost market share after record oil prices prompted consumers to favor fuel-efficient cars from Toyota Motor Corp. and Honda Motor Co. Dearborn, Michigan-based Ford said in July it will accelerate job reductions after a $1.44 billion first-half net loss.

``Things are going to get worse before they get better,'' David Healy, an analyst with Burnham Securities Inc. in Sierra Vista, Arizona, said yesterday. ``All of the earnings estimates being published on Ford right now are basically worthless.''

Ford will try to achieve the cuts by offering buyouts and will resort to firings if it doesn't meet the target, said the person, who asked not to be identified because the details aren't public.

A Ford spokesman, Oscar Suris, declined to comment on any plans to cut jobs or close plants beyond what the company has announced.

Accelerating Plan

``We do plan to explore actions that would accelerate our Way Forward turnaround plan,'' Suris said in an interview. ``Beyond that, we'll share specifics of what those actions will look like in about two months.''

Ford shares fell 9 cents to $8.17 at 4:18 p.m. in New York Stock Exchange composite trading yesterday. The stock has climbed 32 percent since July 20, when it hit its low for the year at $6.19. The shares have gained 5.8 percent in 2006.

The difference in yield between Ford's 6.5 percent bond due in August 2018 and similar maturity Treasuries was 521 basis points yesterday. The difference has narrowed from 650 basis points a month ago, signaling more investor confidence. A basis point is 0.01 percentage point.

The perceived risk of owning Ford Motor Co.'s debt fell to a 10-month low today in the credit-default swap market. Contracts based on $10 million of Ford Motor Co. debt fell to a 10-month low of $636,000 today in London from $640,250 yesterday. They have fallen 22 percent from $815,125 at the beginning of August.

Credit-default swaps are financial instruments based on corporate bonds and loans that are used to speculate on an increase or decrease in indebtedness.

Ford accounted for 18.1 percent of U.S. auto sales in the first seven months of 2006, down from 25.7 percent in 1995, the last year it gained market share. Car and light-truck sales at Ford declined 9.7 percent this year through July.

Earlier Job Cuts

Ford cut 4,000 salaried jobs as part of the restructuring announced in January.

In the second quarter of 2005, the company also offered buyouts and early retirements to U.S. salaried employees and followed up with firings during the second half of the year.

The Wall Street Journal, in a report in its online edition yesterday citing unidentified people familiar with Ford plans, said the automaker may shut more plants, cut management jobs and reduce benefits.

The company's automotive profit has been dependent on sport-utility vehicles and pickup trucks, which don't travel as far as cars on a gallon of fuel. Light-truck sales, including pickups and SUVs, fell 16 percent through July, overwhelming a 3.5 percent gain for cars as gasoline prices hovered near a record.

Consumer demand for more fuel-efficient vehicles is ``more permanent than we expected,'' Executive Vice President Mark Fields told reporters last week in Traverse City, Michigan.

``I'd rather be proactive than wishing and hoping things would go back to the way they were,'' Fields said, referring to the announcement last month of additional restructuring steps. ``Everybody in the organization understands our challenges.''

To contact the reporter on this story: John Lippert in Southfield, Michigan at jlippert@bloomberg.net ; Bill Koenig in Southfield, Michigan at wkoenig@bloomberg.net .

Last Updated: August 18, 2006 07:12 EDT

21 percent fourth-quarter reduction is part of aggressive realignment of North American production -– laying the groundwork for Ford's accelerated Way Forward turnaround.


Bill Ford: "We know this decision will have a dramatic impact on our employees, as well as our suppliers. This is, however, the right call for our customers, our dealers and our long-term future."


Further actions aimed at accelerating Ford's turnaround will be announced in September.


DEARBORN, Mich. -– Ford Motor Co. announced an aggressive reduction of North American production as part of its broader efforts to accelerate the pace of its Way Forward turnaround.

The company said it is reducing North American fourth-quarter production by 21 percent -– or 168,000 units -– compared with the fourth quarter a year ago. The revised plan also reduces the company's previously announced third-quarter plan by 20,000 units.

Bill Ford, the company's chairman and CEO, outlined the decision to cut production in a note to employees, explaining the decision is part of broader efforts to accelerate the company's North American turnaround and saying full details of additional actions will be announced in September.

"We know this decision will have a dramatic impact on our employees, as well as our suppliers," Bill Ford told employees. "This is, however, the right call for our customers, our dealers and our long-term future."

For full-year 2006, Ford now plans to produce 3.048 million vehicles at its North American assembly plants -– 1.134 million cars and 1.914 million trucks -– a 9 percent reduction from 2005.

The revised production plan is expected to sharply reduce the supply of several models and reduce pressure on sales incentives and dealer inventory carrying costs. The plan also reflects expectations for lower industry sales of light trucks and truck-based sport utility vehicles, as high gasoline prices are expected to continue to encourage demand for more fuel-efficient passenger cars and crossovers.

Mark Fields, executive vice president and Ford's president of The Americas, said the "tough-but-important" reduction in production plans underscores the seriousness with which the company is approaching its North American turnaround.

"We are basing our business plans on the customer, and we are determined to match production and inventories with consumer demand," Fields said. "In doing so, we'll reduce incentive spending and inventory carrying costs for our dealers – with the intent to improve residual values for our customers and stabilize operating patterns for our plants and our suppliers."

The revised 2006 production plan is summarized in the table below:

2006 Production Over/(Under) 2005

Cars Trucks Total Cars Trucks Total

(000) (000) (000) (000) (000) (000)

First Quarter 316 560 876 52 (84) (32)

Second Quarter 328 569 897 34 (42) (8)

Third Quarter 255 395 650 * 45 (123) (78)

Fourth Quarter 235 390 625 (13) (155) (168)

Full Year 1,134 1,914 3,048 118 (404) (286)

*The previously announced third-quarter plan was 670,000 vehicles (255,000 cars and 415,000 trucks).

The new production plan will result in downtime at several assembly plants between now and the end of the year, including: St. Thomas, Ontario (Ford Crown Victoria and Mercury Grand Marquis), Chicago (Ford Five Hundred and Freestyle and Mercury Montego), Wixom, Mich. (Lincoln Town Car), Louisville, Ky. (Ford Explorer and Mercury Mountaineer), Michigan Truck in Wayne, Mich. (Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator), Twin Cities, Minn. (Ford Ranger) and all F-Series truck plants (Kansas City, Mo.; Norfolk, Va., Dearborn and Kentucky Truck in Louisville).

The following plants are expected to operate on straight time or overtime based on consumer demand: Hermosillo, Mexico (Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan and Lincoln MKZ), AutoAlliance International in Flat Rock, Mich. (Ford Mustang), Oakville, Ontario (Ford Edge, Lincoln MKX and Ford Freestar), Wayne, Mich. (Ford Focus), Kansas City, Mo. (Ford Escape and Mercury Mariner), Ohio Assembly in Avon Lake, Ohio (Ford Econoline) and Atlanta (Ford Taurus).

Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Mich., manufactures and distributes automobiles in 200 markets across six continents. With about 300,000 employees and more than 100 plants worldwide, the company's core and affiliated automotive brands include Aston Martin, Ford, Jaguar, Land Rover, Lincoln, Mazda, Mercury and Volvo. Its automotive-related services include Ford Motor Credit Company.

NEW YORK -- Fitch Ratings today cut its debt rating on Ford Motor Co., and Standard & Poor's and Moody's warned they may follow, saying new production cuts will hurt cash flow.

Ford could burn more than $7 billion in cash in 2006 as it deals with market share losses, restructuring costs and working capital expenses, Fitch said in a statement.

Although Ford has adequate liquidity, or ready assets, progress in cutting structural costs and keeping the confidence of trade creditors will be critical, Fitch said.

Ford is accelerating its turnaround plan as high gasoline prices cut into demand for fuel-hungry trucks and SUVs. The automaker said it would cut fourth-quarter North American production by 168,000 units and third-quarter production by 20,000 vehicles.

Ford has said it will announce full details of its revised turnaround plan in September.

"The production cuts are certainly larger than anyone anticipated," said Brad Rubin, senior credit analyst at BNP Paribas in New York. Announcing the production cuts before coming out with more details on its accelerated turnaround plan "makes people very skittish," he said.

Fitch cut its issuer default ratings on Ford and its finance unit Ford Motor Credit Co. by one notch to "B," the fifth-highest junk rating, from "B-plus." The outlook is negative, meaning another cut is likely over the next one to two years.

"It's important to note that they also do say we do have a strong cash position," said Ford spokeswoman Becky Sanch. "Today's announcement lays the groundwork for the accelerated plan and we'll have more to say in September."

S&P said it may cut ratings of Ford and Ford Motor Credit, now at "B-plus," the fourth-highest junk rating. A decision on the ratings is expected by the end of September, S&P said.

The production cuts, plus significant cost reductions likely to be announced in September, reveal the extent of turnaround efforts needed to deal with Ford's lower market share and excess capacity, S&P said in a statement.

Moody's said it may cut Ford's corporate family and senior unsecured ratings, now "B2," the fifth-highest junk rating, and the corporate family and senior unsecured ratings on Ford Motor Credit Co., now "Ba3," the third highest junk rating.

The price of Ford's 7.45 percent bond due in 2031 fell to 77.5 cents on the dollar, down from 79 cents on Thursday, Aug. 17, according to MarketAxess.

The cost of protecting Ford's debt against default with credit default swaps rose by 25 basis points to 660 basis points, or $660,000 for every $10 million protected.

Ford Motor Co. CEO Bill Ford sent the following email message to employees today:

Today, we are announcing that North American production in the fourth quarter will be cut by 21 percent. This action, difficult as it is, reflects an assessment of the marketplace that is conservative and more aligned with the shift in customer demand.

As you know, an unprecedented spike in gasoline prices during the second quarter impacted our product lineup more than that of our competitors because of the long-standing success of our trucks and SUVs. While our products continue to perform relatively well within the larger vehicle segments, the size of the segments has diminished significantly and we must adjust accordingly.

As I have made clear during my discussions with the leadership of the Way Forward acceleration team, every decision we make in coming weeks must begin with a sound set of assumptions -- even when it hurts. Only then can we properly evaluate our business and make decisions in the best interests of our company. Our assumption on production going forward is that we cannot count on the relatively low gasoline prices that our customers enjoyed for decades. That is why we are reducing production of trucks at the same time that we are increasing our production of cars.

No one can be pleased by the severity of this cut, which is the most aggressive reduction of a North American production plan in more than 20 years. I am satisfied, however, that we are laying a sturdier foundation upon which to build our business structure going forward.

Reducing production is also very much in keeping with the customer focus of our Way Forward plan. We pledged in January to build vehicles based on the pull from customers rather than the push from factories. Ultimately, this strategy will reduce our supply of vehicles, which will mean lower costs of incentives for the company and lower inventory carrying costs for our dealers.

We know this decision will have a dramatic impact on our employees, as well as our suppliers. This is, however, the right call for our customers, our dealers and our long-term future.

I know that these are difficult times for all employees as they await word on other decisions associated with the acceleration of our Way Forward plan. Our promise is to continue to communicate developments to you as soon as possible.

Thank you for your continuing efforts to build a better Ford.

Bill Ford

Ford Motor Co. will crack open the incentives vault for a month-end sales blitz that will offer 0 percent financing for as much as 72 months for Ford, Lincoln and Mercury buyers, including those with subprime credit ratings.

The program, which begins Thursday, Aug. 24, and runs through Labor Day, will be available on purchases of nearly all 2006 model vehicles, even ones in tight supply. Zero percent financing will be available to customers with subprime credit ratings, not just customers in the top two tiers, as in past programs.

Dealers were notified of the program in a conference call today by Al Giombetti, president of Ford and Lincoln Mercury; and Cisco Codina, Ford's group vice president of North America marketing, sales and service. A Ford spokesman declined comment until the company announces its Labor Day sales program.

Dealers said the program will benefit buyers who might have been turned down because of inability to make a monthly payment.

"I have a customer who was turned down, and he'll be approved," one dealer said. "In a matter of a few days, he'll be in a new car."

Dealers said the Ford GT and some larger F-series work trucks were the only exclusions.

Ford is struggling with too many cars in inventory. As of Aug. 1, Ford Division had 593,100 units in stock. Ford already has said it would cut fourth-quarter production by 168,000 units, or 21 percent of total output.

Ford Motor also received a kick in the stomach by being outsold by Toyota Motor Sales for the first time ever in July. Ford is trying to cut back sharply on sales to fleet customers, which had padded its true performance.

Ford is trying to cut back sharply on sales to fleet customers, which had padded its true performance.

Whether Ford will take itself private is another question entirely, one raised again on Tuesday by USA Today. As TheCarConnection reported earlier this year, some analysts have suggested the Ford family might be interested in taking the company private by buying out shareholders, in an effort to reduce the focus on the company's business dealings and financials. On Tuesday USA Today quoted a source inside the company that said the Ford family was "willing to look at anything" to speed the company's restructuring along, which could include going private in a deal that could cost as little as $14 billion.