F Stock Quote

F is the New York Stock Exchange symbol for the Ford Motor Company, the only one of the United States so-called Big Three auto makers that did not seek or receive government bailout funds in the 2008-2009 recession.

According to official third-quarter 2009 financial reports issued by Ford, the automaker increased year-over-year market share in North America, South America, and Europe and continued to achieve improvements in transaction prices and margins. Ford also noted that it had maintained previous quarter market share in the Asia, Pacific and Africa regions.

Other third-quarter highlights reported by Ford included market share gains for its wholly owned Volvo subsidiary and third-quarter year-to-year market share gains for all three of Ford's domestic nameplates Ford, Lincoln and Mercury.

Ford's European market share, the report said, "was 9.2 percent for the quarter, up 0.6 points from last year and the highest third-quarter level in 10 years. Market share was 10.1 percent in September, the highest monthly share in eight years (and) record growth in China continued as Ford third quarter sales jumped 63 percent."

Capitalizing on this increase in Chinese sales, Ford has commenced construction of a new $490 million assembly plant in Chongqing, China, which is scheduled to go online producing the Ford Focus for the Chinese market in 2012. In other news regarding foreign expansion, Ford reported that it has invested $500 million to add the capacity to build the Ford Figo, a sub-compact model aimed at the burgeoning Indian automobile market, at its Chennai assembly plant in India.

Other good news reported by Ford at the end of quarter three related to its attempts to increase its presence in the hybird car segment of the automobile market. According to the financial statement issued in October, " Ford's U.S. hybrid sales have risen 73 percent this year compared to a 14 percent decline in U.S. hybrid industry sales. More than 60 percent of Ford Fusion hybrid sales have come fromnon-Ford owners."

On the scrap metal front, Ford reported that is Focus and Escape models made the top ten in new vehicles purchased under the Obama Administration's "cash for clunkers" program.