Ford's earnings report Tuesday revealed the automaker's best fourth-quarter results in more than a decade. But credit doesn't go to the fuel-efficient small cars the company has recently emphasized: The profit source was the old faithful F-Series pickup truck.
Are things really that bad at Ford? You'd think so after its third-quarter earnings report drove its share price down sharply. But despite the tough economic conditions Ford faces, the larger story is that the automaker has become very strong, thanks to its focus on a surprisingly simple plan.
Ford shares headed down sharply after the company announced quarterly earnings 18 cents per-share lower than analyst expectations. The miss cast a shadow on the report from Ford, which posted its best annual profit in a more than decade -- $6.6 billion.
