Toyota Motor Corporation (NYSE:TM) has decided to expand its engine development plant in Kentucky.

Toyota Motor Corporation To Expand Development Plant

The Japanese auto giant Toyota Motor Corporation (NYSE:TM) said that it will increase its engine assembly capacity at Georgetown plant in central Kentucky.

As a part of the move, Toyota Motor Corporation (NYSE:TM) will create about 80 new jobs and will spend around $32 million in addition.

The expansion will push the plant’s engine building capacity to 700,000 when the addition goes online in August 2013.

Toyota Motor Company (NYSE:TM) shares are currently standing at 78.17.

Price History
Last Price: 78.17
52 Week Low / High: 60.37 / 87.15
50 Day Moving Average: 82.63
6 Month Price Change %: 21.0%
12 Month Price Change %: -1.5%

Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F) has announced its plan to open a new auto plant in Thailand.

Ford Motor Company Expands Thai Plans

As a part of the move to boost its auto sales in the region, the US based auto maker giant Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F) is opening a new 215,000-square-foot plant in Thailand.

This new $450 million plant will be open by 2015 and is expected to produce about 150, 000 cars a year.

Joe Hinrichs, president of Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F) Asia Pacific and Africa said, “The opening of this new, world-class facility is the latest example in our aggressive growth plan for this region, which represents Ford’s largest industrial expansion in half-a-century.”

Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F) stocks are currently standing at 11.10.

Price History
Last Price: 11.10
52 Week Low / High: 9.05 / 15.45
50 Day Moving Average: 12.19
6 Month Price Change %: -0.5%
12 Month Price Change %: -27.8%

Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F) Brazil chief has decided to step down in June.

Ford Motor Company To Say Goodbye To Brazil Head

After 28 years at the company, Marcos de Oliveira, president of Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F) in Brazil has announced his plan to step down in next month.

Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F) said that Oliveira will be replaced by Steven Armstrong, current chief operating officer of Getrag Ford Transmissions in Germany.

He will assume the post June 1 and work alongside Oliveira during a transitional period until Oliveira steps down June 30.

Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F) shares were at 11.10 at the end of the last day’s trading. There’s been a -10.0% movement in the stock price over the past 3 months.

Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F) Analyst Advice
Consensus Opinion: Moderate Buy
Mean recommendation: Error
(1=Strong Buy, 5=Strong Sell)
3 Months Ago: Error
Zack’s Rank: 4 out of 6 in the industry

Toyota Motor Corporation (NYSE:TM) has decided to increase locally manufactured vehicles in the Philippines by 2016.

Toyota Motor Corporation Boosts Philippines Manufacturing

The Japanese auto maker giant Toyota Motor Corporation (NYSE:TM) has said that the company will increase the local content of its locally manufactured vehicles in Philippines to 40% by 2016.

Michinobu Sugata president of Toyota Motor Corporation (NYSE:TM) Philippines said that “increasing the local content from the current 20% to 25% would make their vehicles competitive, with the expected influx of imported vehicles from other East Asian countries.”

Toyota Motor Company (NYSE:TM) shares were at 81.78 at the end of the last day’s trading. There’s been a 11.9% change in the stock price over the past 3 months.

Toyota Motor Company (NYSE:TM) Analyst Advice
Consensus Opinion: Hold
Mean recommendation: Error
(1=Strong Buy, 5=Strong Sell)
3 Months Ago: Error
Zack’s Rank: 2 out of 12 in the industry

Johnson Controls (NYSE:JCI) has scheduled the launch of its Panoptix system in the Middle East.

Johnson Controls Launching Building Management System

Johnson Controls (NYSE:JCI) announced that it is planning to launch its Panoptix building management system in the Middle East.

The system enables customers to easily and cost-effectively deliver optimized building performance and energy efficiency.

The system collects data from disparate building systems and creates a single, integrated view of building and system performance.

Jihad Chahine, the regional sales manager of the Panoptix Program Office at Johnson Controls (NYSE:JCI), said that, “Panoptix isn’t just another software solution. It is a complete system that delivers today’s most sophisticated building efficiency capabilities in an easy to use, app-based, open platform, with service and support from Johnson Controls. It is a combination of software and services that easily and cost effectively delivers optimized building performance and energy efficiency. It is scalable, you can use it for one building, an entire campus or a network of multi-site buildings. Panoptix is based on the cloud. What you do is that you connect your BMS to the cloud and then an application provided by Johnson Controls (NYSE:JCI) will go and keep that level of performance by your building always”.

Johnson Controls (NYSE:JCI) company shares are currently standing at 32.84.

Price History
Last Price: 32.84
52 Week Low / High: 24.29 / 42.92
50 Day Moving Average: 32.65
6 Month Price Change %: 2.5%
12 Month Price Change %: -13.0%

It has been reported that Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F) is planning to introduce four new vehicles to China.

Ford Motor Company Expands China Vehicle Range

The US based auto maker giant Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F) is planning on revealing four new vehicles at the 2012 Beijing Auto Show.

Three of the soon to be launched vehicles will be SUVs, while one of the models is in all probability likely to be Kuga for the Chinese auto market.

However, Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F) has not yet revealed any further details about the vehicles.

Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F) stocks are currently standing at 11.91.

Price History
Last Price: 11.91
52 Week Low / High: 9.05 / 16.18
50 Day Moving Average: 12.49
6 Month Price Change %: 4.9%
12 Month Price Change %: -20.7%

Dow Chemical (NYSE:DOW) has decide to team up with Ford to develop the use of carbon-fibre for vehicles.

Dow Chemical Working With Ford

Dow Automotive Systems, a fully owned subsidiary of Midland, Michigan based American multinational chemical corporation, Dow Chemical (NYSE:DOW), has reportedly joined hands with Ford Motor Co to develop cost effective ways of Carbon-fibre usage in commercial vehicles.

Ford Motor Co has announced that the Carbon Fibres developed by Dow Chemical (NYSE:DOW)’s Dow Automotive Systems could be used to manufacture high-volume cars and trucks by 2020.

The use of the materials will reduce the weight of the vehicles and in turn it will increase the fuel efficiency.

Dow Chemical (NYSE:DOW) shares were at 31.87 at the end of the last day’s trading. There’s been a 2.3% change in the stock price over the past 3 months.

Dow Chemical (NYSE:DOW) Analyst Advice
Consensus Opinion: Hold
Mean recommendation: 2.53
(1=Strong Buy, 5=Strong Sell)
3 Months Ago: 2.44
Zack’s Rank: 12 out of 34 in the industry

Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F) has partnered with Zipcar to help students in Canada.

Ford Motor Company Makes Canada Zipcar Offer

Under this new deal, the US based auto maker giant Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F) will pay $10 toward the annual student fee of $30 for the first 5,000 students in Canada to sign up for a Zipcar membership.

According to Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F), “students get a break not only on their annual membership fee but also on the amount they pay per hour when they choose a Focus or Escape. Both cars are considered fuel-efficient.”

Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F) shares were at 12.22 at the end of the last day’s trading. There’s been a 7.6% change in the stock price over the past 3 months.

Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F) Analyst Advice
Consensus Opinion: Moderate Buy
Mean recommendation: 1.64
(1=Strong Buy, 5=Strong Sell)
3 Months Ago: 1.64
Zack’s Rank: 3 out of 6 in the industry