1 Way Tariffs Could Cripple Ford for Investors

Detroit automakers can run but they can't hide from the potentially devastating impacts tariffs could have on their business. The stocks have been hammered all year long, some worse than others, and the true impact is yet to be felt.

Amid the slew of analyst downgrades and lowered price targets there's a reality that is setting in for some investors: Tariffs could cause Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F) to alter how it returns value to shareholders. In other words, Ford may be forced to cut its coveted dividend.

Where to invest $1,000 right now? Our analyst team just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks to buy right now. Learn More »

Lucrative dividend

Ford has no doubt faced its share of challenges lately. The company is working to cut costs at the same time it's attempting to improve quality issues that have dinged the company's bottom-line through warranty costs. It has challenges in a tough Chinese market, and it's also burning through billions of dollars churning out each electric vehicle at a loss currently.

Throw in the potential impact of tariffs and it's not farfetched to think that Ford may have to cut its lucrative dividend, which remains one of the largest reasons to own the stock. Ford's current dividend yield sits at a lofty 7.8% due to the stock's sell-off, and trades at a paltry price-to-earnings ratio of 5.8.

"It is time to confront some hard truths, once more: vehicle tariffs have commenced, and parts tariffs are likely to follow within a month," wrote Bernstein analyst Daniel Roeska, according to Barron's. "We extend our company analysis to Ford and find significant downside not priced by the market yet."

He could be exactly right when it comes to the downside not being priced into Ford stock yet. As you can see in the graph below, likely thanks to having more production capacity located in the U.S., Ford's stock has shed less value than its competitors so far in 2025.

TSLA data by YCharts

The good news is that Ford shouldn't have to cut the dividend right away, as the company has ample liquidity to wait and see if the tariff drama ends in the near term, one way or another. In fact, you can see in the graph below that Ford has steadily improved its cash position and can easily cover the dividend.

F Cash and Equivalents (Annual) data by YCharts

How costly could it be?

The pain from the tariffs won't be completely felt through the 25% tariff on imported vehicles, but rather next month when another 25% tariff is expected to be slapped on imported automotive parts. For example, Ford produces about 82% of its U.S. sales domestically, but only about a third of its cars are built using domestic parts.

The cost could end up being significant. J.P. Morgan analyst Ryan Brinkman wrote in a note to investors that the current tariff proposals could cost Ford around $6 billion -- rival General Motors fared worse with his estimated cost reaching around $14 billion.

If there's anything to take away from this assessment, it's just how serious these tariffs could be. Not only could they affect Ford's bottom line, but if the tariff pain is extended long-term it could jeopardize the company's lucrative dividend.

With that said, if the dividend is a core part of why you're considering owning shares of Ford, understand that it will always be a focus for the company. Even if it is temporarily cut to mitigate tariff costs, it will one day reach its full potential again as management is committed to returning value to shareholders in that manner.

Should you invest $1,000 in Ford Motor Company right now?

Before you buy stock in Ford Motor Company, consider this:

The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and Ford Motor Company wasn’t one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years.

Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $495,226!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $679,900!*

Now, it’s worth noting Stock Advisor’s total average return is 796% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 155% for the S&P 500. Don’t miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join Stock Advisor.

See the 10 stocks »

*Stock Advisor returns as of April 10, 2025

Daniel Miller has positions in Ford Motor Company and General Motors. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Tesla. The Motley Fool recommends General Motors and Stellantis. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.