Ford's stock climbs to highest close in three years. Here's what's behind its run.
By Claudia Assis
Ford's stock is benefiting from hopes of future tie-ups with AI, as its energy-storage business announces its first customer
A Ford Bronco for the European market was among the bright spots for Ford this month.
Shares of Ford ended at their highest close on Friday and are vying for their highest monthly gain since 2023, as Wall Street seems to be treating them as AI-adjacent, at least for the time being.
The carmaker's stock (F) rallied more than 9% on Friday to end at $14.93, its highest close since July 14, 2023, when it closed at $14.98. The stock extended its winning streak to a fourth session, and it was firmly among the 10 best performers in the S&P 500 SPX. It was also the second most active stock in the index.
The shares have surged 24% in May, putting them on track for the best monthly gain since June 2023.
The S&P 500 itself notched its longest weekly winning streak since 2023 ahead of the Memorial Day weekend. For May, the index was looking at gains of nearly 4%.
Ford scored high with investors when it announced Ford Energy mid-month. The new business focuses on battery energy-storage systems for data centers, utilities and other industrial and commercial customers in the U.S.
Ford is investing $2 billion in the business and revamping a Kentucky battery plant to be better suited to stationary energy storage. Battery-storage systems are seen as a key piece of the energy puzzle as demand from artificial intelligence jolts the power business.
The carmaker topped the Ford Energy announcement with news of its first customer, a French utility company.
And Ford went deeper into the good graces of Wall Street as it announced a road map for its Europe business, unveiling plans for new vehicles, including commercial vehicles and a Ford Bronco compact SUV tailored for the European market.
Ford's stock has climbed 13.8% in 2026, while shares of rival General Motors (GM) have lost 3.1% and the S&P 500 has advanced 9.2%.
-Claudia Assis
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05-22-26 1628ET
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