Goldman Sachs analyst David Tamberrino notes that Ford (F) and Volkswagen (VLKAY) have announced their intention to make a formal announcement regarding potential joint plans at the Detroit Auto Show. He believes the expectation is for a deep alliance between the two with respect to passenger cars, developing electric vehicles, as well as investing in Autonomous Vehicle development, among other areas requiring stepped up auto investment or a dramatic change. Ultimately, Tamberrino thinks this could be additive to Ford's outlined restructuring plans and generate shared costs across the alliance, potentially improving near-term and longer-term results. Looking at historical automotive alliances and cost savings realized, there is potential for a range of $1.5B-$4.5B of expense savings that could accrue to Ford, he contends. The analyst reiterates a Buy rating and $12 price target on Ford's shares.

Ford is recalling over 456,000 Bronco Sport and Maverick vehicles due to a battery detection issue that can result in loss of drive power, increasing the risk of a crash, Wyatte Grantham-Philips of The Associated Press reports, citing documents published by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The recall covers about 403,000 model year 2021-2024 Bronco Sports produced between February 2020 and March 2024, as well as more than 53,000 model year 2022-2023 Mavericks manufactured from February 2021 to October 2022, according to the report. A Ford spokesperson confirmed to The Associated Press Wednesday, that the software update should arrive by later in the second quarter, commenting that "safety is a top priority, and we are taking proactive measures to address this issue promptly and effectively." Reference Link