Some Changes

Dividend and Conquer

Ford's Q1 dividend will be more than double its usual per-share take. The company announced that each share will get an extra 18 cents in addition to its usual 15 cents. The news follows a 29-cent adjustment in Q4, which surpassed analysts' expectations.

• As EV efforts coast and hybrids take off, the company says it will target a $2B cost reduction to balance UAW contract investments.

Speaking of EVs, the brand says it will release new EV models based on market desire and has a "skunkworks" team dedicated to developing affordable EVs on a flexible battery platform. This is exactly what we hear the majority of consumers saying they want from an EV — an affordable daily driver (sorry, 300-mile-range 4-row SUVs).

Aligned with all this realigning, Ford says it will delay a $12B investment in battery production in Kentucky.

More Kentucky for the Toyota

While Ford slows its EV and Kentucky rolls, Toyota has committed $1.3B toward a factory in the state to produce EVs (one man's trash...?).

• The investment will go toward three-row electric SUVs and, eventually, battery pack production.
• Battery packs produced in North Carolina will be shipped to Kentucky until the new production is up and running.

The Kentucky investment and another $8B coming to the North Carolina plant are signs of Toyota's commitment to US operations, says Kerry Creech, president of Toyota Kentucky.

America of Buybacks

Mitsubishi is looking to reinvigorate some things too, namely shareholders with some buybacks. The company has a $3.4B plan to buy 10% of its shares back from investors.

• After announcing the plan their shares jumped 11%.
• The company had a record-high net profit last year and is currently sitting on about $3.7B. Much of this will return to shareholders at the end of the company's 2025 fiscal year if a suitable acquisition is not found.

Of course, they also have sights on the valuable US energy and digital markets, but policy regarding foreign investments and vehicle manufacturing could diminish the effort of Mitsubishi and other Japanese brands.