Ford Stock (NYSE:F) Surges as New Report Emerges About F-150 Quality

The F-150 is one of the biggest names in legacy automaker Ford's (F) entire stable. This pickup has stood the test of time, and brought back no shortage of interested buyers. But it turns out that some years were better than others for the F-150, and a new study suggests which years to avoid when shopping for one of these pickups. The news was little concern to shareholders, though, as Ford shares shot up nearly 5.5% in Thursday afternoon's trading.Claim 55% Off TipRanksUnlock hedge fund-level data and powerful investing tools for smarter, sharper decisions Discover top-performing stock ideas and upgrade to a portfolio of market leaders with Smart Investor Picks There have been 14 generations of F-150 so far, though the study deliberately ignored anything before the seventh generation, which started in 1980 and ran to 1986. Apparently data from before 1980 is not only difficult to find, it is also marginally valid, as anything before 1980 is now basically a classic. Basically, the worst generations of F-150 have conveniently lined themselves up, and are the generations running from 1997 to 2019. There are some model years within those generations that are safe, however. The 10th, 11th, 12th, and 13th generation are all the F-150s that have experienced high numbers of complaints and multiple recalls. However, F-150s from 2002 and 2003, and from 2006 to 2010, seem to be exceptions. Model years that are part of that range and not specifically exempted are the riskier models, reports note. More Off-Roading Ford is also working to keep up with a pastime that is near and dear to it after years of operation: off-roading. Ford loves off-roading, and it recently got together with onX to produce a new series called "Chasing Off-Road Confidence." It turns out that there are plenty of Americans who like the thought of driving on surfaces that are not specifically asphalt, or even qualify as roads. One such sequence involves a Ford Bronco taking on the San Rafael Swell, specifically the Black Dragon Wash found therein. The Black Dragon Wash is a "moderate" difficulty trail by onX standards, and the terrain is said to change after every major storm that passes through. Is Ford Stock a Good Buy Right Now? Turning to Wall Street, analysts have a Hold consensus rating on F stock based on three Buys, nine Holds and one Sell assigned in the past three months, as indicated by the graphic below. After a 26.23% rally in its share price over the past year, the average F price target of $13.69 per share implies 4.72% downside risk.