Ford's Stock Jumps As November Sales Boosted By Strong Demand For F-Series Trucks

Shares of Ford Motor Co. jumped 2.3% in morning trade Thursday, after the auto maker reported a 5% jump in U.S. vehicle sales in November, as strong demand for F-Series trucks offset a sharp drop in car sales. Total sales rose to 197,574 vehicles, with retail sales rising 10% to 154,114 vehicles, while fleet sales declined 9% to 43,460 vehicles. F-Series sales rose 11% to 72,089 trucks, which Ford said was the best November performance since 2001. Overall, sales of trucks increased 4.9% and of SUVs jumped 18.9%, while car sales declined 9.7%. Within Ford-branded cars, Focus sales tumbled 18.4%, Fiesta sales dropped 16.8% and Taurus sales shed 22.5%. Within trucks, F-Series sales grew 10.6% and E-Series sales rose 17.8%, while transit sales dropped 23.0%.