Earnings Outlook: Ford poised for another loss as demand dries up

By Shawn Langlois, MarketWatch SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) - Ford Motor Co. is expected to take a U-turn back into the red next Thursday when the automaker hands in its earnings for the second-quarter, a period marked by plunging trucks sales, more cost cutting and a vote of confidence from Kirk Kerkorian. Ford stunned Wall street with a first-quarter profit of $100 million when just about everybody was girding for another loss. The report came as a welcome relief to investors considering Ford has lost more than $15 billion in the past two years. But the bullish sentiment didn't last long as Ford shortly thereafter pulled the plug on its plans for profits in 2009 due to the rapid shift away from its most profitable vehicles. Now, analysts polled by FactSet Research are looking for a loss, on average, of 23 cents a share with... [read full story]