BONUS: A $1.5T IPO? Here's How Investors Can Get Ahead  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

February 15, 2026   |   Read Online One "Cheap" Company That Could Swing Hard BONUS: A $1.5T IPO? Here's How Investors Can Get Ahead First a message from our friends at EnergyX (sponsor) A $1.5T IPO? Here's How Investors Can Get Ahead SpaceX recently announced plans to go public at a $1.5 trillion valuation. If this holds true, by the time the average person can invest, they will already be among the 12 most valuable companies on public markets. This underscores a simple truth: the biggest returns in modern investing aren't made at IPO. They're made years earlier, at the private stage, when institutional investors claim their stake. SpaceX now joins companies like Airbnb and Uber, which delivered 4,200% total returns to Sequoia and 490,000% returns to First Round Capital, respectively. Now, a similar dynamic is playing out in an industry critical to future energy supply: Lithium. EnergyX just crossed a $1 billion private valuation. Big names like General Motors have already invested. Only this time, you can become an early-stage investor at the private stage too. Essential to powering everything from EVs to data centers, global lithium demand will grow 5X by 2040. EnergyX's patented technology can recover up to 3X more lithium than traditional methods. But that's only scratching the surface of why 40,000+ investors have already joined. Disruption: EnergyX's GET-LiT™ technology recovers lithium from brine at the lowest cost when benchmarked against industry leaders, and it's protected by 120+ patents. Ecosystem: From technology to production resources, EnergyX is building a vertically integrated platform to power the global transition to EVs, backed by investment from leaders like General Motors and Eni. Opportunity: EnergyX is offering everyday investors the chance to join ahead of full-scale commercialization. An independent study recently confirmed EnergyX's 100,000+ acres of lithium-rich Chilean land has the potential to generate over $1.1B annually at projected market prices once fully operational. On top of that, their nearly 50,000 gross acres of land in Texas and Arkansas is some of the most lithium-rich in the U.S. Join General Motors and 40k+ people as an EnergyX investor before their share price increases after 2/26. Disclosures This is a paid advertisement for EnergyX's Reg A offering. Comparisons to other companies are for informational purposes only. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Please consider this disclosure alongside EnergyX's offering materials. EnergyX's Regulation A offering has been qualified by the SEC. Offers and sales may be made only by means of the qualified offering circular. Before investing, carefully review the offering circular, including the risk factors. The offering circular is available at invest.energyx.com FEATURED ARTICLE The "Cheap" Stock That Could Move Big on the Chinese EV Question: Ford (F) If you're asking "what cheap stock might move this in a big way," you're really asking a sharper question: Which U.S.-listed name is most exposed to a sudden change in the EV competitive landscape—especially a pricing shock? My answer: Ford (F). Not because Ford is the "best" automaker. Because Ford is one of the most leveraged to the two forces that would collide if Chinese EVs were allowed meaningful access to the U.S.: Pricing pressure (margin compression) Policy outcomes (tariffs, security rules, enforcement) When you combine "cheap valuation" + "high narrative beta" + "policy-driven outcomes," you get the kind of stock that can move hard—fast—on a single headline. Let's walk through why. 1) Start with the uncomfortable data: China's EV cost advantage is not a rumor A key reason policymakers—and Detroit—take Chinese EVs seriously is that the cost edge appears structural. UBS teardown work has argued there is a sustainable ~25% cost advantage for BYD versus legacy competitors. That matters because in autos, a cost advantage doesn't just mean "better margins." It means the ability to do something extremely destabilizing: Start a price war and survive it. We've already seen the strategy work in Europe. Reuters reported Chinese automakers doubled their European market share to 6% in 2025, with stronger penetration in certain markets—and attributed gains "largely" to competitive pricing, with some models up to €10,000 cheaper than European equivalents. Cheap Investor translation: If Chinese EVs can compete at scale in Europe—even with tariffs—then the competitive pressure is real. It doesn't have to "win the U.S." to move U.S. automaker stocks. It only needs to change investor expectations about future pricing. 2) Why Ford is the "cheap stock" most likely to swing on this theme There are three reasons Ford is the cleanest "moves big" expression of the Chinese-EV-access risk. Reason A: Ford is already fighting an affordability war in the U.S. U.S. car affordability is tight. Consumers are trading down. Reuters recently highlighted Americans ditching premium trims for entry-level options as affordability bites. Ford is exposed to this because its profit engine relies heavily on: trucks (especially F-Series) mix (higher trims, richer options) financing ecosystem health A price war is bad for everyone—but it tends to hurt the OEMs that rely on mix and high-margin nameplates to subsidize EV transition costs. Reason B: Ford's EV transition is still expensive (and acknowledged as such) Ford's latest results underscore how much investment and volatility sits inside the story. Reuters reported Ford's quarterly core profit fell about 50% to ~$1B, and the company posted a $11.1B Q4 net loss including EV-related writedowns. Ford guided 2026 EBIT of $8–$10B, while forecasting EV/software unit losses of $4–$4.5B for the year. Ford's own earnings release for FY2025 also shows: record full-year revenue $187.3B adjusted EBIT $6.8B full-year net loss $8.2B Cheap Investor translation: Ford doesn't have the luxury of a margin shock right now. If Chinese EV access triggers a U.S. pricing reset, it hits Ford while it's still paying the "transition tax." Reason C: Ford is cheap enough that expectations are low—but not so broken that it can't rerate Ford's valuation often looks "cheap" in classic metrics: Finance pages show a forward P/E around ~10 range (varies by source and timing). Dividend yield is commonly quoted around ~4%+. Price/sales around ~0.3 is frequently shown. When a stock is priced like a value name, two things happen: Bad news can be "less bad" if everyone expects pain Narrative shifts can rerate it quickly if the market sees a path to stable margins + cash flow That's the setup for big moves. 3) "But Chinese EVs can't sell here." True—until the rules change (or get routed around) Right now, the U.S. has built a firewall: The tariff wall The USTR announced a move to raise tariffs on Chinese EVs to 100% under Section 301. Federal Register language also reflects the 100% direction. That's a massive deterrent. The national-security wall (connected vehicle rule) Separate from tariffs, the U.S. Commerce/BIS "Connected Vehicles" final rule prohibits certain transactions involving Vehicle Connectivity System hardware and covered software with a China/Russia nexus. Why this matters for Ford's stock: If investors believe this firewall holds indefinitely, Ford's downside from "Chinese EV entry" looks limited. But if the market starts to believe there are ways around it—or political momentum to change it—Ford becomes a headline-sensitive swing name. The realistic "ways this becomes relevant" aren't necessarily "BYD opens stores in Ohio tomorrow." They're more like: third-country assembly structures supply chain redesign to meet compliance definitions shifting trade negotiations exemptions, clarifications, enforcement changes broader political shifts after elections The market doesn't wait for reality. It reprices on probability. 4) The mechanism: how Chinese EV access would pressure Ford (even if Ford sells zero EVs against them) This is the key investor insight: Ford doesn't need to lose EV market share to get hurt. It just needs the pricing ladder to get dragged down. Here's the cascade: Step 1: "Entry EV" price becomes the anchor Chinese brands would likely target high-volume entry segments with aggressive pricing. The U.S. already has high EV transaction prices, and affordability is a real barrier. Once a cheaper EV sets the mental anchor, the buyer says: "Why is this one $7K more?" "Why is the lease $90 more?" "Why is the payment higher?" Step 2: Incentives spread across the showroom Dealers discount what they must to move inventory. Incentives don't stay isolated. This can pressure: ICE pricing (especially crossovers) lease residual assumptions used-car pricing dynamics Step 3: Ford's profit pool gets pinched where it funds the transition Ford's most profitable lines—especially trucks and commercial—carry the burden of funding EV losses and platform retooling. A pricing war that forces Ford to defend volumes can compress the very profits the market wants to see remain durable. That's why the stock moves: it's a margin story disguised as a trade policy story. 5) Why Ford could also rally hard if the firewall strengthens Now the other side. Ford isn't a "pure risk" on this theme. It can also become a beneficiary of protection holding (or tightening). If the market gets credible signals that: tariffs stay severe or expand enforcement tightens on third-country routing connected vehicle restrictions remain strict domestic manufacturing incentives strengthen …then the perceived probability of a U.S. pricing shock drops. And Ford can rerate because investors can focus on: execution cost reduction quality improvements commercial segment strength dividend support and management's guidance for stronger profitability ahead Ford's CEO has publicly pointed to expectations for a stronger year with $8–$10B EBIT guidance for 2026 despite EV losses. That matters because a value stock with a big installed base can jump quickly if the market believes: the worst is priced in and the competitive environment remains "managed" 6) The "cheap" technical setup: what the chart is implying right now You asked for technicals as one possible driver. Ford's technical readouts (by common indicator dashboards) currently suggest a constructive trend: investing.com shows 50-day MA ~13.80, 14-day RSI ~59.9, MACD positive-ish readings (timing dependent). TipRanks shows 50-day MA ~13.6 and 200-day MA ~11.9 (source timing differences), generally implying price has been above longer-term trend. Cheap Investor translation: The stock isn't in a deep technical "falling knife" posture. It's in a zone where: good news can trigger momentum buying and bad news can still hit hard because autos are cyclical and margin-sensitive So catalysts matter. 7) The catalyst map: what headlines move Ford on this theme If you want a 2,000-word actionable editorial, you need a scoreboard of what actually moves the stock. Here are the catalysts that would make Ford move big—up or down—tied to the Chinese EV access narrative: A) Trade policy headlines (tariffs, exemptions, enforcement) Confirmation that 100% tariffs stay and enforcement tightens → bullish for Ford (less competitive shock) Any credible talk of rollback, carve-outs, or softened enforcement → bearish (higher shock probability) B) Connected vehicle rule clarifications Stronger restrictions on China-linked VCS/ADS stacks → bullish (entry becomes harder) Loosened definitions or broad authorizations → bearish (entry becomes more feasible) C) "China export machine" signals If global data continues to show China ramping exports and underpricing rivals, investors may assume the competitive threat grows over time regardless of the U.S. firewall. Europe's share gains are a live signal. D) Ford execution: EV losses, quality costs, and profitability trajectory Ford's stock won't just move on China headlines—it will move on whether Ford can absorb pressure at all. Key numbers investors watch: EBIT guidance ($8–$10B for 2026) EV unit loss forecast ($4–$4.5B) cost reduction cadence and warranty/recall burden (frequent Ford narrative) 8) So… is Ford actually "cheap," or just "low multiple for a reason"? Let's be honest—autos often look cheap because they're cyclicals with structural headaches. Ford's "cheap case" is basically: low valuation multiples (forward P/E ~10-ish) dividend yield ~4%+ enormous revenue base ($187.3B in 2025) commercial strength (Ford Pro is often cited as a profit pillar) and guidance for better profitability ahead The "not cheap" (value trap) case is: EV losses remain large and persistent margins get squeezed by global price wars (directly or indirectly) quality/recall/warranty costs and supply chain surprises recur (a theme in Ford coverage) Cheap Investor takeaway: Ford is "cheap" in a way that creates upside if the competitive environment stays protected and Ford executes. But Ford is also "cheap" in a way that leaves it exposed if the market suddenly believes a pricing shock is coming. That's exactly the kind of setup that produces big moves. 9) The cleanest thesis: Ford as a "policy beta" value stock If you want a single-line thesis you can actually use: Ford is a value-priced stock with a big dividend whose rerating depends on stable pricing power—making it unusually sensitive to any credible path for Chinese EV entry into the U.S. That's why Ford can move hard: the stock is liquid the narrative is headline-driven and the profit pool is margin-sensitive 10) A practical checklist: what to watch next week Hey there, bargain hunter—here's your "don't get blindsided" checklist: Watch these policy signals Any change in rhetoric around Section 301 EV tariffs (100% is the anchor) Any updates/clarifications on connected vehicle prohibitions and authorizations Watch these competitive signals China's export growth and pricing aggression (Europe share and pricing gaps are a proxy) Evidence of Chinese OEMs investing in overseas manufacturing and supply chain routing (a trend documented by industry trackers) Watch these Ford execution signals updates to EV loss trajectory (the market wants that $4–$4.5B loss to shrink over time) progress against cost/warranty/quality issues (recurring narrative) any change to dividend posture (yield supports the value case) Bottom line If Chinese EVs ever gain meaningful access to the U.S., the immediate effect won't be "a few models on lots." It will be a pricing shock—and pricing shocks attack margins, not headlines. Ford (F) is one of the most likely "cheap stocks" to swing big on that probability shift because: it's value-priced (forward P/E ~10-ish) it carries a meaningful dividend (~4%+) it's still funding a costly EV transition (EV losses guided $4–$4.5B) and it sits directly in the crosshairs of affordability, tariffs, and competitive pricing narratives If the firewall holds or tightens, Ford can rerate on execution and cash flow. If the firewall cracks—or the market starts to believe it might—Ford is exactly the kind of stock that reprices quickly. Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice. Investing involves risk, including the potential loss of principal. Always do your own research before making investment decisions. 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