Stock Market Today, Jan. 8: Ford Rises After Analyst Upgrade Boosts Confidence in Turnaround

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Today, Jan. 8, 2026, Wall Street’s upgrade and CES roadmap toward autonomy put Ford’s turnaround and tech ambitions under the microscope.

Ford Motor Company

Today’s Change

(4.80%) $0.66

Current Price

$14.40

Ford Motor Company (F +4.80%), a maker of automobiles and commercial vehicles, closed Thursday’s session at $14.40, up 4.80%. Ford Motor Company IPO’d in 1972 and has grown 563% since going public. Trading volume reached 145.2 million shares, about 71% above its three-month average of 84.6 million shares.

Thursday’s action is centered on Ford’s analyst upgrade and its CES driver-assistance roadmap. Investors are watching upcoming Q4 results to gauge execution on EV and software plans.

How the markets moved today

The S&P 500 (^GSPC +0.01%) finished flat at 6,921, while the Nasdaq Composite (^IXIC 0.44%) slipped 0.44% to 23,480. Within the Automotive industry peers, General Motors (GM +3.93%) and Toyota Motor (TM +0.66%) rose 3.89% and 0.70%, respectively, as investors weigh hybrid demand trends and competitive EV positioning.

What this means for investors

Ford stock surged to a new 52-week high today after an analyst upgrade and a well-received presentation at the recent CES convention in Las Vegas. Piper Sandler upgraded Ford to the equivalent of a buy rating, raising its price target from $11 to $16.

That upgrade came after the automaker impressed analysts with its autonomous driving technology plan for Level 3 “eyes-off” system by 2028, built on a new EV platform. A successful push into autonomy software could drive future revenue and profit sources for Ford.

Last week, Ford increased its 2025 earnings outlook, even as it booked nearly $20 billion in charges related to changes in its electric vehicle business plan. That focus on profitability has investors boosting Ford stock.