Podcast: Renewed Trade Tensions Drive Down U.S. Stocks
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Miami Herald
26 minutes ago
- Miami Herald
Ford Ends Employee Pricing But Launches Aggressive New Incentives for July
As Americans braced for the worst-case scenario in light of President Trump's 25% tariffs on foreign auto imports, Ford announced a new promotional campaign called "From America, For America" aimed at alleviating some of the fears that would have kept once-eager car buyers from purchasing new cars. While other automakers like Hyundai, Genesis, and Nissan sent letters to dealers and/or launched programs that promised their dealers and customers that their vehicles' MSRPs would not increase until June, Ford did something slightly different. The Dearborn-based automaker not only bolstered its homegrown, "made-in-America" image by reaffirming its manufacturing roots, but also introduced an employee pricing program that proved to be popular with its buyers. Following three months of employee pricing discounts, Ford is entering the third quarter and the second half of 2025 with a bang, as it introduces a new pricing scheme to attract value-conscious buyers to the beacon of the Blue Oval. In an announcement on July 8, the automaker said that in place of the employee pricing program, it will follow up by offering no-interest financing for 48 months, with no money down and no payments required for the first 90 days on most Ford and Lincoln cars. In a blog post on Ford's website, Rob Kaffl, Ford's director of U.S. sales and dealer relations, said that the company came up with the program after hearing from its dealers that "more customers could benefit if we could reduce the upfront, out-of-pocket expense to buy or lease a vehicle," adding that other everyday expenses are disincentivizing buyers from a new set of wheels. "Many families have seen their savings go toward higher mortgage rates and summer travel costs," he said. "They want a new vehicle but also want options that allow them to forgo an upfront down payment." The "0-0-0 summer sales event," as Ford calls it, begins on July 8 and follows a very successful sales program for the automaker. According to newly released Ford sales data, the employee pricing campaign has successfully gotten more people into new vehicles. Year-over-year sales of Ford and Lincoln vehicles shot up by 14% in Q2 2025, while their market share jumped by 1.8 percentage points. In a statement on July 1, Ford said sales in the second quarter were bolstered by strong pickup and hybrid sales, even as EV sales took a 31% dip. According to the automaker, Q2 2025 was the best second quarter for the ever-popular F-series truck since 2019, while its smaller brother, the Maverick, saw its best sales quarter since its 2021 debut. "We blew the doors off the overall industry with our second-quarter sales," Andrew Frick, president of Ford Blue and Model e, said in a statement. "Customers continue appreciating our broad powertrain choices [...] and our Ford Motor Company: From America, For America commitment." It should be said that the fine print does contain some potential deal-breaking caveats that could drive some buyers away from taking potential purchasing actions. They include the fact that the Triple Zero deal is excluded from 2024 model year Ford Raptor vehicles, Maverick, Ranger, non-ICE versions of the Transit, non-XL Super Duty pickups, F-150 Lightning, and Mustang Mach-E. Additionally, the Triple Zero deal is not eligible to be used on 2025 model year Ford Raptor vehicles, Maverick, Ranger, Transit, Super Duty, and popular cars, including the Bronco Sport, Bronco, Expedition, and the Lincoln Navigator. Not only does Ford state that buyers are responsible for tax, title, license, and dealer fees, but they also mention that "Not all buyers will qualify" for the advertised Triple Zero deal. This is important to note, as data from Edmunds states that 0% finance deals are incredibly rare, accounting for just 0.9% of new-vehicle loans in Q2 2025, the lowest share Edmunds recorded since 2004, and down from 1% in Q1 2025 and 2.9% in Q2 2024. However, despite this, Ford's action shows that it is willing to work to make its vehicles more accessible to buyers, as affordability will become more of a consideration going into the second half of the year. Copyright 2025 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Yahoo
27 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Rocket Lab (RKLB) Jumps 9.03% on Rosy Prospects from Trump-Musk Feud
Rocket Lab Corporation (NASDAQ:RKLB) is one of the . Rocket Lab jumped by 9.03 percent on Monday to finish at $38.88 apiece as investors gobbled up shares amid rosy opportunities from the ongoing feud between President Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk. This followed Musk's announcement on Monday that he was forming a new American political party called The America Party to take on Republicans and Democrats, a move that has provoked Trump. Shares in Musk-led Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA) dropped following the statement, while investors deemed the spat as a huge opportunity for Rocket Lab Corporation (NASDAQ:RKLB)—a space company that directly competes with Musk's SpaceX—on expectations that the feud could shift government contracts away from SpaceX. A launch pad atop a grassy hill, smoke filled sky from a successful voyage to space. Late last month, Rocket Lab Corporation (NASDAQ:RKLB) successfully launched its 68th Electron rocket, called 'Symphony in the Stars' for a confidential commercial client. The Symphony in the Stars marked the company's 10th launch in 2025 alone. While we acknowledge the potential of RKLB as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that some AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and have limited downside risk. If you are looking for an extremely cheap AI stock that is also a major beneficiary of Trump tariffs and onshoring, see our free report on the . READ NEXT: 30 Stocks That Should Double in 3 Years and 11 Hidden AI Stocks to Buy Right Now. Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey. Sign in to access your portfolio
Axios
28 minutes ago
- Axios
Trump tires of Putin's "bullsh*t"
President Trump has been touting his friendly relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin for nearly a decade, but he lamented Tuesday that Putin's warm words are ultimately "meaningless." "We get a lot of bullsh*t thrown at us by Putin, if you want to know the truth. He's very nice all the time, but it turns out to be meaningless," Trump said at a Cabinet meeting. Why it matters: Trump took office confident he could swiftly convince Putin to make peace, even claiming for a time that the real obstacle was Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. While Trump's position has repeatedly zig-zagged since, his sympathies currently appear to be almost entirely with the Ukrainians. Trump lifted a freeze on defensive weapons for Kyiv on Monday, and on Tuesday said he was "strongly" considering a package to put steep sanctions on Russia. Reality check: So far, Trump has resisted pressure to take any significant action to punish Putin for his unwillingness to make peace and repeated bombardments of Ukrainian cities. Between the lines: The latest major Russian aerial attack came hours after Putin spoke to Trump by phone on Friday. Trump said he was "very disappointed" in that call and has repeatedly criticized Putin since. This is arguably the harshest line Trump has taken on Putin thus far and the warmest point in his relationship with Zelensky.
