Still losing money in the US but at least the company as a whole is making money.

http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/080424/earns_ford.html

 

Ford's real problem isn't in it's overseas operations. Ford's problem always has been Ford's North American operations. They have either played way too conservative with new products, or completely and totally think those of us in North America are completely dumb in our automotive tastes and preferences.

But we've talked about this before.

A few examples:

https://www.camaroz28.com/forums/sho...highlight=ford
https://www.camaroz28.com/forums/sho...highlight=ford
https://www.camaroz28.com/forums/sho...highlight=ford

 

$100M profit in Q1 hey?

That's about half a day's profit for Exxon... not kidding either. Do the math.

 

That just makes me sick...

 

When you compare how many people are involved in making a vehicle. The amount of research needed to evolve the car. How many people are gainfully employed by the auto industry and how many people enjoy the freedoms the motor car brings...

When you compare how the oil industry just digs 'free oil' from the ground and sells it off to wholesalers and retailers...

It is indeed disproportionate and sickening.

 

And Exxon shouldn't be allowed to make a reasonable profit on its products in the same way that Walmart does? Last time I read something it was in the neighborhood of 10% right around the average for most companies.

I guess you could argue that oil is a nessecity, but so are food and clothes (products Walmart sells) last time I checked.

Now subsidies for an industry as healthy as big oil making somebody sick, I can get onboard with that.

 

One difference. The world is not dependent on Walmart's products.

 

You have any idea how complicated a deep sea oil rig is? You're talking space program tolerances.

 

Forget Exxon. Ford made $0.1 billion profit on $39.4 billion revenue, that's effectively only breaking even.

 

the world isn't dependant on Exxon either. There other players in the game, you know competitors

If you guys are really pissed about it; ride a bike, burn candles, use coal/wood.

I think its crazy even to consider limiting gross profits, and I'm fairly certain the guys bagging all the cash aren't going to be the ones feeling the heat, they'll just cut costs somewhere to maintain that profit margin.

 

You can't be serious with that statement? The oil companies have a monopoly. Their business case is assured of ever increasing wealth. A company like Walmart didn't get it's success by digging a hole in the soil.

And you really are great at making wrong assumptions. I don't drive to work. Never have! So stick that up your exhaust pipe. Anyway, your preprogrammed brain precludes you from objective thought so I'll quit now before I really get pissed.

 

Right. So we've basically been doing it for 100 years. Maybe I'm missing something obvious here.

 

Never thought that dropping a hole in the ground required space program tolerences. Gee.... what ever did we do for the previous 100 years of extracting oil.

Care to elaborate what percentage of the world's oil (or even our oil) is extracted from the "Space Program Tolerences" of deep sea drilling?

Of course, all this insane profit Exxon is making is benefitting you, right?

It simply is mindboggling on how many people on this site can look at Ford's $100 million profit, realize that Exxon alone makes that much in 12 hours, see gas prices climbing daily despite no shortages, world crisis, or anything to justify it (the dollar's falling, but not that fast), the fact that we most likely will see $5 per gallon before this time next year, know how this is going to play with demand for certain sporty coupes.... yet act like all of this is great and fantastic news, and that they themselves are actually profiting from all this.

Simply priceless.

 

PT Barnum's prophesy lives on, Guy.

 

You know we agree 99% of the time on things, but I have to divest from your position on this one.

Everyone thinks it will take higher prices to force alternatives to become plausible - me included.

But...
How do you think the development of those alternatives will take place?
How will they be funded?
How will the infrastructure be paid for?
How will it be implemented?
How will it be regulated (for safety - NOT price)?
Who will regulate it and pay for the regulation expenses?

Now... just stop and think how awesome it is when the government hands out an award for research that is like $2-million or even $5-million to cancer research or environmental research. How often do we hear of such committments from the government? Not often really.
Well, what could be done with $5 or $10-million towards researching a new way to grow crops and produxce ethanol? Should it come from the government (i.e. we taxpayers)? Or should it come from the government (i.e. from a pot filled by windfall taxation)? Either way, it comes from he government.

Now...
In the last 7 years, just how much has Exxon, BP, and all the others been investing in alternative fuel development? $billions/year? If so, where is it?
How much have they contributed to actually bringing practical solutions to market?
Have they been building refineries specifically for ethanol?
Have they invested in alternative solutions to grain - like switchgrass and even tobacco?
Distribution channels for alternative fuels?
Charging stations for electrics? Hybrids?
In my mind, they are not doing NEARLY enough, and frankly it's not in their best interest to. It would be destroying their monopolistic situation that they have worked so hard to achieve in the last 7 years.
Why try to kill my own profit center?
The lame commercials like the one Shell has been running on satellite for the last month touts their "lowest sulfur emission diesel fuel ever made". F-ing great. So they have pioneered the lowest sulfur emissions ever... too bad I can't afford it so I'll just run french-fry oil in my truck and call it a day. I'd like to have seen the money they have spent on that ad alone go to some university for development of "something substantial".

IN MY OWN OPINION - they have had PLENTY of time to demonstrate good efforts and start showing us some solutions, but every Exxon and Shell and BP that I drive into looks just like the same one did 7 years ago - except for the price I am paying and their fancy new electronic pumps that melt your debit cards for you. In short - I ain't seeing it. I'm seeing MUCH more from the OEM carmakers and private investors (let's pick on ***** Nelson for a second! ), and that is simply SAD.

THEREFORE I am 100% for a windfall tax that will take the gimungous heaps of money from the mongers that are becoming absurdly wealthy and apply that money towards development and implementation of alternative fuels and modes of transportation. If they won't do it on their own accord, then they need to be "helped" to understand that killing the other 90% of America's business and economy without any consciencious guilt is simply wrong. Furthermore, putting the elderly in a position where they will choose between freezing to death or dying from lack of medication is wrong. Having children go to bed hungry because Mommy has to drive to work tomorrow is wrong.

It's a tough call, but I have got to lean towards the governmental intervention approach on this one. I never ever wish for any control or limitations on a creative mind or their potential to earn, but as their earnings increase, so should their concern for the well-being of their fellow man, and so should their philanthropy. My failure to see this kind of philanthropy and concern for America is why I am bitter and want to see the intervention. There is simply no sense in a company making that much profit in the condition our nation is in right now. Sorry.

Lastly - they shouldn't even consider trying to hide the profits somewhere else so hey don't have to pay. It's so easy to calculate barrels imported versus gallons sold that even a government official could do it. Companies are definitely leary of cooking the books after the last few years of corporate downfalls.