| Ford Creates 500 New Jobs in Germany to Support Next-Generation Ford Focus Production and 2011 Ford Explorer More Adaptable Than Ever for Drivers and Roads |
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Ford Motor Company's (NYSE:F - News) Saarlouis Plant in Germany and the Michigan Assembly Plant in the United States are preparing for the manufacturing launch of the next-generation Ford Focus. Developed in Europe for sale in over 120 markets worldwide with 80 percent parts commonality, the all-new Ford Focus is a key part of the One Ford plan to leverage the company's global assets. The Focus is built from Ford's new global C-segment platform, which will account for more than two million units of annual production by 2012. From mid-November almost 500 people currently employed on agency contracts at the Ford Saarlouis Plant will be offered permanent Ford contracts ahead of the start of assembly of the new car on Dec. 6, 2010. [Read the full article] A new analyst report says that Ford's(F) relatively weak position in emerging markets is not necessarily a drag on its earnings potential. Even though China is now the world's largest auto market in terms of unit sales, the U.S. market still provides 20% more revenue, Langan said. The average transaction price in the U.S. is $27,000, he said, while the average transaction price in China is $16,000 and the average in India is $8,000. Moreover, new car prices in China are falling due to increased competition. To the extent that the U.S. market provides better margins than the Chinese market, Ford benefits relative to rival General Motors, which is the market leader in China. GM said this week that in October, it became the first global automaker to sell two million vehicles in China in a single year. According to Global Insight, GM has a 14% share in China, making it the country's largest automaker. Ford ranks thirteenth, with a 3.5% share. [Read the full article] Forget the politics, the price, or the fact that this GM IPO shows how screwed up Washington is right now. Forget all of that and ask yourself one question: If you had $10,000 to invest in the new General Motors, would you do that? I've asked some friends and colleagues outside of the auto industry that very question. And what I hear from most of them is, "Yes, at least for the near term." I'm not surprised, especially after seeing how much money GM is making right now and will make over the next couple of years. This is a company leveraged to be very profitable for the foreseeable future. That's the reason there's so much demand on Wall Street by those who want to get in on the GM IPO. Because it's a mess. It's been rushed, poorly handled by the folks in Washington, and in general leaves a lot of people asking themselves, "What is the new GM all about?" That's the real question you should be asking yourself after the stock finds its right price post-IPO. [Read the full article] 
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