<div id="readability-page-1"><p>A few months ago, we found out that one of legacy automaker Ford's (F) key aluminum suppliers had a fairly large fire on its campus. But it was hoped that, once 2026 dawned, the company would be back up and running to its fullest, supplying Ford with the aluminum it needs to build vehicles. But almost four months after the fire, Novelis is not back up to full operation yet. This news hit Ford investors fairly hard, sufficiently so to send Ford shares down fractionally in Tuesday afternoon's trading.</p><h3>Claim 50% Off TipRanks Premium</h3><ul><li>Unlock  hedge fund-level data  and  powerful investing tools  for smarter, sharper decisions  </li><li> Stay ahead of the market with  the latest news and analysis  and maximize your portfolio's potential</li></ul> <p>The Novelis fire was sufficient for Ford to cut its 2025 profit guidance, and point out that it would lose the ability to make about 100,000 F-Series pickups through 2025. And for a while, things were on track to get better, until a second fire in November hit, which pushed the timeline back further.</p> <p>But Ford is not quietly waiting for Novelis to restart production. Instead, Ford has plans to &#34;…continue to leverage alternate sources, including its global network of plants and industry peers, to mitigate impact.&#34; In fact, Ford is also buying aluminum from other Novelis facilities that have not recently suffered debilitating fires. Ford expects to update investors on the situation further on February 10, when the fourth-quarter earnings reports come out.</p> <h2><strong>Class Action Setback</strong></h2> <p>Meanwhile, Ford faced down a different concern connected to a class action lawsuit over its F-150 line. Ford suggested that the lead plaintiff, Michael Barcelona, &#34;failed to adequately plead his claims,&#34; reports noted, and as such Ford sought a dismissal of the class action lawsuit connected therein. But a federal judge, United States District Judge Jeffrey Cummings, found that Barcelona had indeed done the job.</p> <p>Cummings noted, &#34;Simply put, taken together as a whole, [the plaintiff] has stated an independent claim for violation of Chapter 93A, and the court declines to dismiss the claim in its entirety simply because his fraud claim was previously dismissed.&#34;</p> <h2><strong>Is Ford Stock a Good Buy Right Now?</strong></h2> <p>Turning to Wall Street, analysts have a Hold consensus rating on F stock based on two Buys, 11 Holds and one Sell assigned in the past three months, as indicated by the graphic below. After a 35.93% rally in its share price over the past year, the average F price target of $13.87 per share implies 1.13% upside potential.</p></div>

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<p>Ford's stock (NYSE:F) declined as its aluminum supplier, Novelis, remains not fully operational following a fire. This has led Ford to cut its 2025 profit guidance and anticipate a loss of 100,000 F-Series pickups. Ford is seeking alternative aluminum sources while awaiting further updates on February 10. Additionally, a class action lawsuit against Ford regarding its F-150 line is proceeding, as a judge found the plaintiff's claims valid. Analysts currently rate Ford stock as a Hold, with a slight upside potential of 1.13%.</p>

- Ford's key aluminum supplier, Novelis, is still not back to full operation almost four months after a significant fire, impacting Ford's production capabilities and stock.  
- This disruption has led Ford to lower its 2025 profit guidance and anticipate losing the ability to produce approximately 100,000 F-Series pickups.  
- Additionally, Ford plans to source aluminum from alternate facilities while facing a class action lawsuit, with analysts maintaining a Hold consensus rating on Ford's stock.

Ford Stock (NYSE:F) Slips as Novelis is Not Fully Operational Yet