Ford getting killed in Europe

Should the company exit the continent altogether? That's increasingly looking like a smart move.

By Kim Peterson Jun 29, 2012 5:46PM
Ford (F) disappointed investors Friday and saw its stock drop to its lowest point in nine months after warning of steep international losses.

The company is hurting badly outside of North America, to the point where its pretax operating profit in the second quarter will be substantially lower. Its pretax losses in Asia, South America and Europe may hit $570 million. To give you an idea of how quickly things are deteriorating, consider that pretax losses in those regions in the first quarter were only $190 million.

Post continues below.
"Our operations outside of North America are under increasing pressure," the company said in a filing late Thursday. The stock fell nearly 5% Friday to close at $9.59. Shares are down 11% this year.

Europe is the big drain here, as worries about the economy have taken a huge toll on new-car purchases. Ford was probably too optimistic in its earlier forecast of losing between $500 million and $600 million in Europe this year. Now, one analyst told Bloomberg he thinks the losses could exceed $1.1 billion.

Now, Ford and other automakers are facing the problem of having too many excess cars building up. Inventory levels could get too high, and automakers are mulling the idea of closing factories. There are rumors that Ford may have to close at least one plant in Europe.

The situation is so bad that the International Business Times wonders if it's time for Ford to exit Europe altogether. Things aren't nearly as horrible in Asia, Africa and South America. Maybe Ford should just drop out of the continent and focus on the rest of the world.

"Why continue losing money in Europe when China is forecast to become a 30 million unit-a-year market by 2020 and U.S. new car sales are poised to return to 16 million," asked Auto News Europe editor Luca Ciferri, according to IBT.

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124Comments
Jun 29, 2012 11:51PM
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@jrlphx....100% TRUE.....Back in the day (20-30yrs. ago) Nobody bought foreign autos, just about everyone bought "AMERICAN MADE" autos. There used to be PRIDE and PATRIOTISM in supporting our FAMILIESn in this COUNTRY. I live in NYC, and hardly ever see DOMESTIC cars anymore!! Every time someone HERE buys FOREIGN, they're basically supporting EMPLOYMENT OVER-SEAS and a foreign family with every car they buy! Whatever happen to "MADE IN THE U.S.A." label ?!?!?............... it seems to be EXTINCT!
Jun 29, 2012 11:20PM
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This article is based on senseless speculation.  Ford has a major presense in Europe, and one of the largest market shares of any manufacturer.  I highly doubt that Ford will be leaving Europe anytime soon.  Europe has more auto brand choices than the USA, therefore all manufacturers have a smaller piece of the pie, but Ford is one of the largest.  Another difference is that Japanese brands are less popular in Europe, and of course European cars are more common.  

Jun 29, 2012 10:18PM
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Something makes no sense here - Ford has been in Europe for many years.  If they are failing relative to other manufacturers it is because of poorer quality and bad maketing/research. 
Jun 29, 2012 10:15PM
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Ford builds junk???? What is important to our family is all around competitive prices, decent fuel mileage, styling, quality and lasting power of the vehicle based on price. Our 150 and 250's are 10-12 years old when we privately sell them for more than KBB prices with usually over 125,000 miles. We own an Edge limited, Taurus limited, Lincoln MKZ (J D Power best in class three years in a row) and the newest in the stable for running around on short trips a 37 MPG (actual) on our Fiesta. Have a friend who owns a large cab company and ONLY buys Escape hybrids. For all of you who spout with nothing but hyperbole and no facts to back up what you spout, please vote Romney and what little we have left in this country will go to the lowest bidder overseas. Europe is a failure because after world war two, we told them not to worry!!! The USA will take care of you.  Guess what, after almost seventy years of us throwing jobs, money and military protection they are lazy and broke. Have a nice day and keep buying Japanese, Korean and German, because they have no fear Uncle Sam is here (there).   
Jun 29, 2012 10:15PM
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if you see the sticker, you may know why people are not buying ford...59,000 for a new for explorer in Cebu Pi..... 37,000 for a new explorer XLT. in the states. go figure. Henry Ford made cars for the avg working class family. Maybe Ford can get back to basics when it comes to pricing.
Jun 29, 2012 10:08PM
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Ford needs to sell the WILDTRAK in the USA!
Jun 29, 2012 9:43PM
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An article written from simple minded and short sighted perspective fortunately for share holders not held by F.

 

p-q4

 

 

Jun 29, 2012 9:30PM
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Ford did not receive any bail out money - maybe they would have need a temporary bailout.
I like Ford.

Jun 29, 2012 9:18PM
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A Ford? Are you serious? I drive Mercedes Benz period. Anything else doesn't qualify to be called a car.

 

Go Mitt go. You be the man!

Jun 29, 2012 9:05PM
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Probably because they didn't squander billions in their overseas operations, then ask Congress for a bailout, like the pathetic socialist losers at the other union hellholes.
Jun 29, 2012 8:42PM
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Santorum believes that Romney is a lying rat. A rat that will say anything, do anything just to get into the White House. Santorum has an inside track on Romney that he is unable to divulge because of his position as a loyal Republican.
The word is, Romney has been in the pocket of large corporations and he has make a deal with them to drop the corporate tax rate to 16%. This would allow those corporations to bring their money back into the US, and get out of the unstable banks and markets of Europe and the Far East. Santorum would not play ball with Romney because he knows that as President he cannot lead this country with a tax rate of 16%. You can’t support are arm forces and maintain are highways system with a tax rate of 16%. It just can’t be done, unless America cuts the fat very, very deep.  The first time I ever saw Santorum get angry was when he was lied to by his adviser.  It is the same with him and Romney.  Romney lied to Santorum and then asked him to stand shoulder to shoulder with him as possible VP.  That is as if Santorum would ever be Romney’s VP.  Santorum has no respect for Romney.

I have never seen Santorum hate someone as much as he hates Romney.

Jun 29, 2012 8:32PM
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Ford is getting killed in Europe and journalism is getting killed in the USA.  Those of us who are real professional women are appalled at the message to our daughters that they should not be intelligent, talented, courageous and strong women like Ann Curry, but rather giggly fools displaying their wares and fawning over butt-ugly men like the balding old coot Matty Lauer a la lightweight Savannah Guthrie.  It is comical that the announcement story of the latter had to be shorn of its comments because the comments were running 12 to1 against Guthrie.  Seems that *** kissing your way to the top is not consistent with the public mood right now even though out of touch NBC is clueless to that fact.  You'd almost think the fools who run JC Penney into the ground are moonlighting at NBC.
Jun 29, 2012 8:15PM
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For every company the closes its doors out side of the U.S. one company should close in the US.
Jun 29, 2012 8:13PM
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What this article fails to mention is that GM and Fiat, are posting record losses too. When articles like this fail to mention these facts it just becomes propaganda against the only USA owned auto manufacturer.

 

To coin a phrase from slick willie, IT'S THE ECONOMY STUPID!

Jun 29, 2012 8:11PM
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The wonderful world economy keeps raising its ugly head. The only reason we're in a world economy is because the greed of big business saw profit in other countries a few decades ago. That decision prompted American companies to shut down manufacturing here and take it to places like Europe. Now, we have no work and they're going bankrupt because they're to lazy to work because they like their Government handouts. The bigger problem is the Obama administration wants us to be the same way. Only 50% of Americans pay taxes now and the supreme court says the health care bill is even more taxes. The Democrats are making a product of environment that says "Why Work", let the Government pay for it. The problem is the Government doesn't earn the money they spend, only the WORKING Americans do. And that is only 50% for now. Eventually, people will give up and not want to support the the non-working and we will become Europe.
Jun 29, 2012 7:45PM
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Good deserves them right,hope they all go bankrupt.They took all USA auto maker plants and sent them all to Europe and left USA citizens without jobs and some loss there homes and everything.  So who cares,they deserve it for being so greedy and stilling USA auto makers plants..Japan is paying greatly now for their greediness by taking all our auto maker plants to Japan cause they said they could make them cheaper over there,well that might be true,but you took away work from the USA citizens that worked in all these auto plants.Japan had a terrible disaster and still  not fully recoverd from it.So when you get greedy and take away from someone country that's been doing auto making for centries,then you deserve to lose your butt.No sympathy here.USA don't care...I'm one of the auto makers in a auto plant and I got laid off.  SO GET OVER IT JAPAN  AND EUROPE<WE DID!!!!!
Jun 29, 2012 7:36PM
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Let the enslaved europeans take the train or walk!

FORD the only real free american owned and operate car company left!

Jun 29, 2012 6:50PM
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Ford makes " junk " ? ? ?

I guess that is why GM needed a bailout and Ford did not.

Jun 29, 2012 6:43PM
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If ford company is lacking here's from a dedicated ford fan, first one problem is you are trying to hard to please to many and not pleasing the ones that made you your economic and gas savers are not based on the vehicles that most people use vehicles that tow have had less mileage  improvement and most little cars are useless except to go to point a to be and the hell with overseas come home and help the one's that built you a concerned driver for the future, you only need to buildto beat them on the track not in there homes
Jun 29, 2012 6:34PM
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no surprise to me they should be getting killed here  ford makes nothing but junk any way and so does all cars assemblyed in the u s by union idiots
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