This being an election year probably doesn't help.

Well, it didn't take too long. Exactly, like I predicted.
Ford has no small cars, and expensive aluminium recalled Fseries is a flop. Merger is coming, but who would buy a ford ?

Well according to Mark Williams this appears to be good news, business as usual for Ford.

I mean plant closures for overcapacity for a 95 plus day supply and tapped out fleet pipeline is just what they were expecting, right?

Ford in the last 3 decades has been the most in touch (of the big 3 minus 1) with fluctuations in the economy/marketplace and implemented the quickest and most effective counters to such impacts. Its a HUGE part in what has enabled them to demonstrate superior business performance, acumen and kept them bankruptcy/bailout/takeover free. Hopefully the downturn will be short if at all and a real miracle would be GM and Fiat being proactively prepared for it as opposed to dealing with/whining for hand outs when it hits.

Like someone else said before, they are smart, GM will go bankrupt shortly(again they put all their eggs in the truck basket), and Ford will stand tall again, sound familiar?

Well, let's not pretend Ford didn't get a billions from the government under the table to safe their business in here. Shall we ?

@RAM, under the table, due tell, GM and Ram got bailed by you and never paid back, glad you are ok with companies like that

Only idling one plant and only temporarily to prevent an inventory glut before it occurs.

This is discipline. GM will keep making them and have to throw more and more cash on the hood.

Looking at GM and more so FCA of late it is 2007 all over again. I think they are playing a game of chicken. GM's plan is to bankrupt FCA and FCA's plan is to find a good suitor, which was Samsung; however, that merger seems to have gone up in flames.

FCA debt is gonna be a big problem if rates start going up and demand drops. With the incentives they are pushing at this point I think cash flow is more important that profit. Ford will be playing it smart and cutting production, pulling a play from the Honda playbook.

Wow, Ford invests in a completely new design and gambles with all new construction materials and now has to shut down and idle assembly lines, just 2 years into production. This only proves that Ford is just a fleet manufacturer and now that it has finally filled its backlog of fleet orders it can't cut it in the competitive retail market.

Mean time, GM midsize sales are increasing at high double digits sales rates and Ford has.......wait for it.......... nothing.

Wow, Ford invests in a completely new design and gambles with all new construction materials and now has to shut down and idle assembly lines, just 2 years into production. This only proves that Ford is just a fleet manufacturer and now that it has finally filled its backlog of fleet orders it can't cut it in the competitive retail market.

Posted by: GMSRGREAT | Oct 18, 2016 1:44:46 PM

Yep. Look at their inventory numbers. Ram and Ford hovering around 100 days of inventory.

Only idling one plant and only temporarily to prevent an inventory glut before it occurs.

This is discipline. GM will keep making them and have to throw more and more cash on the hood.

Looking at GM and more so FCA of late it is 2007 all over again. I think they are playing a game of chicken. GM's plan is to bankrupt FCA and FCA plan to find a good suitor, which was Samsung; however, that merger has seem to have gone up in flames.

Posted by: AK | Oct 18, 2016 1:28:33 PM

They are idling multiple lines for multiple vehicles. This is not healthy, it's called dumping inventory on fleet and when they don't want anymore you have to shutdown because your retail sales can't keep you floating at current levels.

GM is up there too at 91 days of inventory, up 16% from last month. Ford is at 93 days, unchanged from last month.

GM needs to watch it.

Fiat-Ram is fighting dirty with incentives and cheap lease deals to deadbeat creditors.

Ford will be fighting with its New Super Duty.

GM will be fighting back against FCA with more incentives to try and win back its turf lost to Fiat.

There is a war going on. There is a war going on for your mind!

just warmin up,next comes mass layoffs,best guess 35-40% overcapacity,and interest rates goin up its ....well don't want to know

Wow, Ford invests in a completely new design and gambles with all new construction materials and now has to shut down and idle assembly lines, just 2 years into production. This only proves that Ford is just a fleet manufacturer and now that it has finally filled its backlog of fleet orders it can't cut it in the competitive retail market.

Posted by: GMSRGREAT | Oct 18, 2016 1:44:46 PM

That is ironic you are statement that since silverado sales are down by 15,348 units so far this year. Ford trucks are in the black by 31205 for the year. Maybe Ford has a better understanding of market fluctuations. Fiat, we'll they have been doing huge sales along with mega rental fleet sales. Sounds like it is a good.thing you don't handle any finances.

"The F-Series had a strong first half of 2016 sales-wise but has been in monthly decline compared to 2015’s results in July, August and September. If this trend continues, the closures will help keep supply levels more manageable."

So maybe this year my local dealer won't have 150+ previous model years of F-150's sitting the back lot with $15,000 off MSRP? I doubt it, my local dealer still has some new 2015's sitting in that back lot they can't sell even with the massive amount off MSRP.

I wonder if my local Ram dealer will be running even higher sale prices. Right now they have 220 brand new 2015 Rams that cannot seem to sell. Even with 18K off sticker.

That is ironic you are statement that since silverado sales are down by 15,348 units so far this year. Ford trucks are in the black by 31205 for the year. Maybe Ford has a better understanding of market fluctuations. Fiat, we'll they have been doing huge sales along with mega rental fleet sales. Sounds like it is a good.thing you don't handle any finances.

Posted by: PDiddy | Oct 18, 2016 2:10:51 PM

Mean time, GM midsize sales are increasing at high double digits sales rates and Ford has.......wait for it.......... nothing.

Posted by: GMSRGREAT | Oct 18, 2016 1:47:53 PM

HAHAHA !!!

Well Ford should have offered better incentives and I would have bought one last week. Instead I am rolling in a Hemi powered 1500 and I am loving it.
Hope it holds up well, last Dodge I owed was a 92 Dakota and while it didn't have any powertrain issues, the interior pretty much stopped working one bit at a time.

Ford in the last 3 decades has been the most in touch (of the big 3 minus 1) with fluctuations in the economy/marketplace and implemented the quickest and most effective counters to such impacts. Its a HUGE part in what has enabled them to demonstrate superior business performance, acumen and kept them bankruptcy/bailout/takeover free. Hopefully the downturn will be short if at all and a real miracle would be GM and Fiat being proactively prepared for it as opposed to dealing with/whining for hand outs when it hits.

Posted by: Clint | Oct 18, 2016 1:13:40 PM

It's clear that the full size market , particularly the 1/2 ton market, is saturated and it is open season for the midsizers. Sounds like Ford didn't see that one coming. So much for your "most in touch" comment, Clint.

take a photo of this PUTC is actually admitting what I've been saying for at least 3 years. The US economy is in the toilet and the automakers and their employees are about to get hammered for it.

Mean time, GM midsize sales are increasing at high double digits sales rates and Ford has.......wait for it.......... nothing.

Posted by: GMSRGREAT | Oct 18, 2016 1:47:53 PM

HAHAHA !!!

Posted by: GMSRGREAT | Oct 18, 2016 3:02:00 PM

So i am reading your comment and thinking " he does not make any sense". Ford is not in the mid size market, fiat is not in the midsized market, a lot of companies are not in the mid size market and he wants to compare Ford full size and Heavy duty to midsized sales? Does not make any sense at all". Then I read your name and realize he is "someone special"..... kinda hard to compare midsized sales to all company that opted out of that market a few years ago. Now I also noticed he did not bring up Toyota. Whyou would he? Well he wouldn't because Toyota is killing the GM brand of midsized trucks. Ford used to do extremely well and if if they got back in, no doubt they would kill it again. But it is hard to brag when on company is not in the market at all in the US.

http://www.equipmentworld.com/cummins-hit-with-60m-lawsuit-by-fca-over-defective-emissions-system-in-ram-pickups/

How come this has not made the news. Fiat had better get on their knees and do whatever Cummins ask of them. Cummins does not need flats business and ram will go down if Cummins goes away.

Ford in the last 3 decades has been the most in touch (of the big 3 minus 1) with fluctuations in the economy/marketplace and implemented the quickest and most effective counters to such impacts. Its a HUGE part in what has enabled them to demonstrate superior business performance, acumen and kept them bankruptcy/bailout/takeover free. Hopefully the downturn will be short if at all and a real miracle would be GM and Fiat being proactively prepared for it as opposed to dealing with/whining for hand outs when it hits.
Posted by: Clint | Oct 18, 2016 1:13:40 PM

Like someone else said before, they are smart, GM will go bankrupt shortly(again they put all their eggs in the truck basket), and Ford will stand tall again, sound familiar?
Posted by: Nitro | Oct 18, 2016 1:15:33 PM

Really? Who' been over producing for demand all year? Oh yeah Ford has. Who's be at or below demand all year? Oh yeah GM. GM is in a great place overall at a 79 day supply. Ford mean while in the 80s day range with multiple vehicle lines dropping into the -20 plus percent range. GM has also smoked Ford in profits this year.

https://www.gm.com/investors/earnings-releases.html

https://corporate.ford.com/investors/reports-and-filings/quarterly-reports.html#/2016

Mark Field and Mark LaNeve is bad news for Ford.

@Johnny Doe. On everybFordbpost all you do is trash talk and cherry pick data. YesbFord was down more than GM in September but year to date Ford is up 0.6% and GM is down 3.8%. On the whole Ford is doing better. How about that.

Yupp your talking sales which is great, but profit is where its at and that's GM not Ford. Ford speed dial bail out hurry.

Good job Ford, way smarter move to shut down for a week to keep track of profitable inventory unlike;

- RAM recall flooding the market with cheap discounted death trap trucks with the worst crash test ratings ever.

- Shaky GOVT motor trucks with over 120 days + inventory baking in the sun waiting for another desperate give-away sales...LOL

@RAM, under the table, due tell, GM and Ram got bailed by you and never paid back, glad you are ok with companies like that

Posted by: Nitro | Oct 18, 2016 1:24:35 PM

I don't know about a GM, but FCA paid everything back long time ago.
Ford got billion funds for a new efficient engine to save them from bankruptcy and ecoboost is what they come up with ?

http://www.chevyhardcore.com/news/editorial-did-ford-take-bailout-money-too-yes-they-did/

This topic is from 2012.

It’s been three years since General Motors and Chrysler filed for bankruptcy, but with the political season in full swing, the two presidential candidates have put the auto industry bailouts back in the public eye, at least through the November election. Yet there’s only one Detroit automaker still in hock to U.S. taxpayers and – guess what? – it’s not GM or Chrysler.

Ford Motor owes the government $5.9 billion it borrowed in June 2009, the same month GM filed for bankruptcy. By Sept. 15, Ford needs to start paying that money back. In a government filing, the carmaker said $577 million is due within the next year, and the full amount must be paid off by June 15, 2022.

The Obama Administration, dreaming of a million electric cars on the road by 2015, loaned Ford the money to help it pay for development of hybrids and EVs, and to retool its factories to produce smaller, cleaner vehicles. While not characterized as a “bailout” by any means, let’s be honest: Ford’s loan – received at a critical time when other sources of financing weren’t available to automakers or their suppliers – no doubt helped the carmaker survive the industry crisis and contributed to its strong market position today, especially after the Obama Administration finalized tougher fuel economy rules this week.

Indeed, lest we forget: the feds in 2009 were handing out fistfuls of cash to bolster the auto industry, beyond the $64 billion used to bail out GM and Chrysler. Treasury staked another $18.7 billion on rescuing the companies’ auto lending affiliates (it still owns 74% of Ally, formerly known as GMAC). And the Energy Department doled out billions more to Ford and others to preserve auto-making jobs in the U.S. while steering the industry toward cleaner vehicles.

“We have an historic opportunity to help ensure that the next generation of fuel-efficient cars and trucks are made in America,” President Barack Obama said in a statement on June 23, 2009 announcing the loans to Ford and two others. Energy Secretary Steven Chu added: “By supporting key technologies and sound business plans, we can jumpstart the production of fuel efficient vehicles in America. These investments will come back to our country many times over – by creating new jobs, reducing our dependence on oil, and reducing our greenhouse gas emissions.”

http://www.forbes.com/sites/joannmuller/2012/08/29/automakers-report-card-who-still-owes-taxpayers-money-the-answer-might-surprise-you/#6c2311b26a8c

Glad you are OK with companies like that. LOL.

Johnny Doe. Both Ford and GM have profits in the billions and honestly I would expect GM total profit to be higher. GM is a top 3 globally in sales. What would be an interesting statistic is which company generates more profit per vehicle sold in NA. I would guess the difference between the 2 companies is less than we think. I recently read somewhere that the avg transaction price on the 2017 Super Duty was $60k.

@RAM. Let's ask a hypothetical question. If gas were to go back up to $4-5 a gallon which of the big 3 would be in serious trouble. Let me answer for you since you seem to play on the lower intellectual level. THAT COMPANY WOULD BE FCA. This is also the same company that generates the least amount of profit.

GM made almost one Billion dollars more in the second quarter 2016 then Ford, What will Q3 bring?-----------------GM Reports Second-Quarter Net Income of $2.9 Billion, Up 157 Percent............http://media.gm.com/media/us/en/gm/news.detail.html/content/Pages/news/emergency_news/2016/gm-072116-2nd-qtr-earnings.html--------------------- Ford's second-quarter earnings fell 9% to $2 billion................http://www.freep.com/story/money/cars/ford/2016/07/28/fords-second-quarter-earnings-fall/87625068/

GM is up there too at 91 days of inventory, up 16% from last month. Ford is at 93 days, unchanged from last month.

GM needs to watch it.

Fiat-Ram is fighting dirty with incentives and cheap lease deals to deadbeat creditors.

Ford will be fighting with its New Super Duty.

GM will be fighting back against FCA with more incentives to try and win back its turf lost to Fiat.

There is a war going on. There is a war going on for your mind!
Posted by: Gregory Stevens | Oct 18, 2016 2:01:17 PM

Ford is up to a 95 day supply.

"The F-150 is the best-selling vehicle model in North America, and a key profit-maker for Ford. U.S. sales of the F series are up 5.5 percent this year but deliveries fell 2.6 percent in September. Ford dealers had a heavy 95 days' supply of the pickups on their lots at the end of September, according to data compiled by Automotive News."

Fiat Chrysler Q2 Earnings Jump, Raises Full Year Profit, Sales Targets ................Net profit rose 25% to $253 million .................http://www.investors.com/news/fiat-chrysler-q2-earnings-jump-raises-full-year-profit-sales-targets/

The f150 is not the best selling pickup its gm , if you look the sale numbers it's impossible the F150 is the best selling pickup ??

The f150 is not the best selling pickup its gm , if you look the sale numbers it's impossible the F150 is the best selling pickup ??

Posted by: Miath | Oct 18, 2016 7:24:08 PM................Ford never said the F150 is the best selling, they say the F-series. Although there commercials lead people and many reporters to think they are only referring to the F150. Ford also says they are America's #1 selling brand, they are there own brand. cars and trucks with Ford badges. GM has several brands,(Chevy, Buick, Cadillac and GMC) No GM car wears a GM badge as its brand. Its Just marketing.

Ford is vary smrt

@RAM. Let's ask a hypothetical question. If gas were to go back up to $4-5 a gallon which of the big 3 would be in serious trouble. Let me answer for you since you seem to play on the lower intellectual level. THAT COMPANY WOULD BE FCA. This is also the same company that generates the least amount of profit.

Posted by: Yupp | Oct 18, 2016 6:59:08 PM

Since you asked a hypothetical question, let me answer, even the reality is completely different and ford is living in distorted field.
A year ago, I said, that ford has a very bad timing for an aluminium truck, because of the low gasoline prices and it will hurt them badly. It looks, Ford plays on the lower intellectual level than me.
BTW, FCA is prepared better with 8 speed and 9 speed and small half ton diesel ford doesn't have and RAM enjoys for a years.
I remember arguing with someone, I am sure it was you under a different name, that ford is prepared better, because of the small cars FCA is canceling slowly. FCA knows, where the market is , and it's not in the small cars. Ford is a years behind because of no any new SUV, no 10 speed, no diesel and if Fseries crashes, ford is an history.

Let me remind you.

Fiesta -39.5
Focus -16.9
C-MAX -27.4
Fusion -17.5
Taurus -16.7
Police Interceptor Sedan -17.6
Mustang -32.0
Ford Cars -22.5

Where do you think that profit comes from ? Eh? If you invest to build a new tranny factories and new assembly plant it cuts from your profit. Ford sells old technology, makes huge profit, they got money from the government for and aluminium was a big miss.
It looks like FCA reads the market better than Ford, because RAM is better, without a deadly recalls and cheaper than recall flooded gasoline thirsty ford.
There is a big perception in the customers field, because of the fords recalls and customers are aware of the fact, that ecoboost is thirsty like a camel, so PR department can't fool them anymore, but I have to admit, they did a very good job for a 5 years
Bad business plan execution by the ford , win for the FCA.
They can sell for less, still make profit and invest in to the new factories and technology. Employee pricing advertisement didn't help it at all. Ford is going down this month sharply.
They can blame just themselves for going aluminium no one asked for and increasing pricing sharply, not just $250 ,they were saying everywhere.

I am going to sit back, eat popcorn and enjoy this $hitstorm ford is going through.

Ford Motor Company has & will always beat shaky GOVT motors to the punch and once again; the first to make a smart move to reduce inventory to match demand.

Not bad for a smaller auto company that is generating the kind of business shaky GOVT motors Financial group can only hope & dream of achieving years down the road. Ford managed to reinstate its dividend roughly two years before its arch rival did.

So I will sit back & watch the war of truck sales & see RAM recalls & shaky GOVT motor trucks pile up in the sun. Of course, the best time for great deals out there!!

@Lionel
It looks you enjoy even article about a ford closing the shop. Good for you bro. Me too.

Ram, here's the deal. According to Forbes here are the market values of the big 2 plus FCA. Ford #40 at 54.2 billion. GM #43 at 49.6 billion. FCA #503 at 10.4 billion. Some analysts predict FCA will be gone sometime next year. No such predictions for Ford or GM. Now that FCA no longer owns Ferrari and they have no finance arm, profits are dismal. Their large incentive to push trucks as of late also dropped profits while shrinking future buying markets. Also since Samsung wants no part of them, their chance of a life saving merger looks dim. Why is Sergio desperately looking for a merger that would probably put FCA's name out of existence?

Ram, with fiat doing so well in your eyes why has Sergio contacted just about every mega large corporation looking for a partnership. On that note why has fiat been fudging their sales numbers to look good on paper? The fiat drama never seems to end. Well it will end when FCA is done.

https://www.google.com/amp/www.fool.com/amp/investing/2016/10/09/fiat-chryslers-big-pickup-discounts-could-be-a-big.aspx?client=ms-android-att-us

Look for more mega Ram sales as they try to pawn off their 102 day supply of trucks. More Sergio trying to make FCA look better on paper for the big FCA auction.

Toyota cannot keep up with demand at its truck factories yet Ford has to shut theirs down!

Hmmm...

Ford can't push anymore F-150s down people's throats. The midsize pick-up market is still growing exponentially and FORD is left on the outside without any product to participate.

Poor planning by FORD, again.

@RAM. If FCA is doing so well, why do their profits lag so far behind GM and Ford. On average they sell 20k to 30k less vehicles per month than Ford yet the profit generated is only 1/4 of what Ford generates. Too funny.

It's all very clear. Ford recognizes when the economy will affect sales and reacts in time to avoid having to file bankruptcy. If only GM could figure that out maybe they'd not have to be bailed out by the government.

Toyota cannot keep up with demand at its truck factories yet Ford has to shut theirs down!

Hmmm...
Posted by: oxi | Oct 19, 2016 11:10:07 AM

Yeah, right. That's why the Chevrolet Silverado and Toyota Tundra are the only pickup trucks sold in the U.S. that are having an off year.

Toyota cannot keep up with demand at its truck factories yet Ford has to shut theirs down!
Hmmm...

Posted by: oxi | Oct 19, 2016 11:10:07 AM

@ oxi; your comment is irrelevant; there is no comparison of Ford's massive truck sales numbers to Toy makers full & mid size numbers combined.