Ford Analyst Optimistic on Heels of Earnings Buzz

Ford stock just saw its best day in years last Friday

Shares of Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F) are moving higher in this morning's trading, last seen up 0.8% at $10.40, after receiving a price-target hike to $12.50 from $11 at Jefferies, and announcing a new partnership with Amazon.com (AMZN), where deliveries will be made to qualifying Ford and Lincoln vehicles.

Jefferies said strong first-quarter results alongside "broad-based improvements, guidance upgrade, dividend confirmation and reduced credit risk," should be enoughto persuade potential investors. Overall, analysts were wary toward the car manufacturer coming into today, with nine of 14 sporting "hold" or "strong sell" recommendations. This does, however, leave plenty of room for more upgrades on F in the near future.

Looking toward options, short-term options traders have been showing a preference for puts. Ford's Schaeffer's put/call open interest ratio (SOIR) of 1.28 sits in the 95th percentile of its annual range. This means short-term option players have rarely been more put-heavy during the past 12 months.

On the charts, Ford stock has been moving higher, seeing an impressive post-earnings bull gap this past Friday. Ford's impressive first-quarter beat sent the shares 10.7% higher, to their best day in 10 years. Year-to-date, the security has added 35%.