For the first quarter of 2019, the Ford team was able to enjoy stronger sales than what the team projected.

Every automaker works to predict what their sales will be. The numbers projected are often based on market trends and additional products that are being brought to the market.  This is good news for the Ford brand which was the first of the brands to decide it was time to stop selling sedans and put their focus on the trucks and SUVs that are offered to give us the models that we look to more than others.

Growth Tempered with Reality

The Ford shares rose as much as eight percent during the first quarter, which is a significant increase for the brand. This took place while the brand is working to restructure is business which includes cutting the overall costs the automaker incurs by $11 billion by 20201. The strong sales were the result of an incredible performance by the F-Series pickup trucks and the new Ford Ranger that’s now added to the mix to be the midsize truck that could be the right choice for many drivers and was during this first quarter.

While this growth is impressive and we hope Ford can continue its upward trajectory, the Ford team has stated they expect the first quarter to be the best of the year. That’s not to say there won’t be success, but it will likely not be at the same level as what the brand experienced during this first quarter. The decision to kill off most of the passenger cars allows the revenue to increase by two percent despite a drop in overall sales of fourteen percent, which is exactly what the Ford team was hoping would be able to take place.

The Struggles Abroad

Even though Ford has experienced strong sales in the US and has turned an incredible profit in our market, the brand struggles with slow sales in other markets, especially China. As the largest automotive market in the world, China is a place where Ford and every automaker needs to be strong in order to survive in the future. The Ford team plans to launch more than 30 new models in China over the next three years in order to reverse the sales slump that has now lasted two years. You can bet these new models will be filled with electric options which is a requirement in the Chinese market.

The Revenues are Down but the Profits are Up

For the first quarter of the year, Ford reported a total revenue of $40.3 billion for the quarter, which is down four percent for the time. This is an impressive change in the brand because of the fact that profits were up by so much. These results certainly allow us to see that Ford chose the right path by deleting sedans and passenger cars to focus on the SUVs and trucks that we’re going to buy at Ford for the next few years.