Moody's lowers Ford's credit rating

[GMCSonoma]

Moody's lowers Ford's credit rating
DETROIT - Moody's Investors Service lowered Ford Motor Co.'s credit rating further into junk status Friday, saying the market shift from big SUVs to cars was hurting the company's prospects for recovery.
Moody's lowered Ford's credit rating to B2 from Ba3. It also lowered the long-term credit rating of the company's finance arm, Ford Motor Credit Co., to Ba3 from Ba2.
Moody's said the downgrade reflected its expectation that high fuel prices and the resulting shift away from highly profitable sport utility vehicles would further damage the company's profits. Ford's sales of mid-size SUVs fell 24.7 percent in the first six months of the year, while sales of large SUVs declined by 32.1 percent, Moody's noted.
"The strong performance of Ford's new cars is certainly a positive. But the profitability of these vehicles doesn't come close to what the company had been earning on Explorers and Expeditions," Bruce Clark, a senior vice president at Moody's, said in a statement.


Continues at link:http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060714/..._credit_rating

[DenCo]

Apparently, no matter what they do, it's bad... This is getting downright pathetic...

No! Too big a focus on SUVS!!! BAD Ford!!!

*shifts to cars*

NO!!! BAD FORD!!!

[igor]

Yeah ...

WS is simply pissed off that ford does not give a flying **** about what WS thinks .. with Ford family securely in control of the company, Billy having fulll trust in the new management, and still about 30 bill of cash in the bank - cash, why should they.

they need no credit, they cannot be bought out - WS has no power over them - and Ford is free to tuck along with their restructuring unbothered by WS moodswings.

Igor

[cfch3399]

That vulture Jerkorian must be smelling blood about now.

[LAMRONH]

Vulture? I thought he was a leech.

[frenstall]

Hmm, I didn't know Ford's rating could go any lower. Truthfully though I think Ford needs a big product boost fast. GM seems to have the pipeline full and 2007/8 will bring a lot of good things but besides the Edge I haven't heard of anything significant enough to boost ford (mind you I think the Fusion is great too, it just doesn't make the $$ the explorer does)

[igor]

^^^Ford has the 2007 empty (well sort of), but also has a product wave in 2008

the 2007 is full of redesigns .. all new Super duty, redesigned escape triplets, and redesigned Five Hundred triplets.

the 2008 has: MKS, Fairlane (and lincoln cousin), Focus, and 2-3 B-segments.

Igor

[FordMan]

Originally Posted by igor

^^^Ford has the 2007 empty (well sort of), but also has a product wave in 2008

the 2007 is full of redesigns .. all new Super duty, redesigned escape triplets, and redesigned Five Hundred triplets.

the 2008 has: MKS, Fairlane (and lincoln cousin), Focus, and 2-3 B-segments.

Igor

Well, the Focus is only getting the Fusion's 3-bar grill. A facelift, not a major redesign. Which is depressing as hellllll!!!!!!!!!!



But I do have confidence in a the 500 and Montego redesign, as well as the Escapes.

[igor]

Originally Posted by FordMan

Well, the Focus is only getting the Fusion's 3-bar grill. A facelift, not a major redesign. Which is depressing as hellllll!!!!!!!!!!



But I do have confidence in a the 500 and Montego redesign, as well as the Escapes.

not true

Focus might still get a redesign in 2007 as 2008 model. However, it will not be only a nose job - the full sheetmetal is significantly changed, and so is the interior. A talked to a guy close to a sourse, and was told the redesign is a very very applealing and attractive - unlike the 2005 redesign.

Fields is trying to avoid the redesign, but originally C2 was to be released at the very end of 2008, and first models were to be released in 2009 as 2010 models. Bill Ford is pushing the program to speed up and deliver the platform for the 2007 Frankfurt Show, so US MKIII Focus can be assigned a Job 1 of Spring 2008 (Volvo is also ithing for the new platform, as they see VW readying the new A4/A3). But if that fails, they might release the redesign - the redesign is ready to go.

Igor

[56 Starchief]

Wall Street has no foresight.

[FordMan]

Originally Posted by igor

not true

Focus might still get a redesign in 2007 as 2008 model. However, it will not be only a nose job - the full sheetmetal is significantly changed, and so is the interior. A talked to a guy close to a sourse, and was told the redesign is a very very applealing and attractive - unlike the 2005 redesign.

Fields is trying to avoid the redesign, but originally C2 was to be released at the very end of 2008, and first models were to be released in 2009 as 2010 models. Bill Ford is pushing the program to speed up and deliver the platform for the 2007 Frankfurt Show, so US MKIII Focus can be assigned a Job 1 of Spring 2008 (Volvo is also ithing for the new platform, as they see VW readying the new A4/A3). But if that fails, they might release the redesign - the redesign is ready to go.

Igor

Do you have any idea what it may look like? And if this is the case, then what exactly is in the picture?
Fields said that if products in the pipeline didn't have 'bold' looks he would cut it and start new. But again, if so, how likely are we to get it, because Ford really really needs anything.

[DuSpinnst]

Personally, I think Ford should give WS the big FU and go private. Seriously, say we don't need this stock nonsense anymore.