Ford Credit Earns $1.8 Billion Net Income in 2011*

DEARBORN, Mich., Jan. 27, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Ford Motor Credit Company reported net income of $1.8 billion in 2011, compared with $2 billion a year earlier.  On a pre-tax basis, Ford Credit earned $2.4 billion in 2011, compared with $3.1 billion in the previous year.  The decrease in pre-tax earnings is more than explained by fewer leases being terminated and the related vehicles sold at a gain, and lower credit loss reserve reductions.

In the fourth quarter of 2011, Ford Credit's net income was $611 million, an increase of $244 million from a year earlier.  The increase is more than explained by a favorable, one-time, non-cash item recorded in the quarter related to Ford Credit's net deferred tax liability.  On a pre-tax basis, Ford Credit earned $506 million in the fourth quarter of 2011, compared with $572 million in the previous year.  The decrease in pre-tax earnings is more than explained by fewer leases being terminated and the related vehicles sold at a gain.

"Our results in 2011 were strong and, as planned, we provided substantial distributions to Ford," Ford Credit Chairman and CEO Mike Bannister said. "We remain committed to Ford's growth plans through support of the company, our dealers and customers." 

On December 31, 2011, Ford Credit's net receivables totaled $83 billion, compared with $81 billion at year-end 2010.  Managed receivables were $85 billion on December 31, 2011, up from $83 billion on December 31, 2010.

On December 31, 2011, managed leverage was 8.3 to 1, up from 6.7 to 1 at December 31, 2010.  Ford Credit distributed $300 million to its parent in the fourth quarter for a total of $3 billion of distributions in 2011.

For full-year 2012, Ford Credit expects to be solidly profitable but at a lower level than 2011.  In addition, Ford Credit expects to pay distributions of between $500 million and $1 billion to its parent in 2012.  At year-end 2012, managed receivables are anticipated to be in the range of $85 billion to $95 billion.  

About Ford Motor Credit Company
Ford Motor Credit Company LLC has provided dealer and customer financing to support the sale of Ford Motor Company products since 1959. Ford Credit is an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of Ford. For more information, visit www.fordcredit.com.

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* The financial results discussed herein are presented on a preliminary basis; final data will be included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2011.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward Looking Statements

Statements included or incorporated by reference herein may constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.  Forward-looking statements are based on expectations, forecasts and assumptions by our management and involve a number of risks, uncertainties, and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those stated, including, without limitation:

Automotive Related:

• Decline in industry sales volume, particularly in the United States or Europe, due to financial crisis, recession, geo-political events or other factors;
• Decline in Ford's market share or failure to achieve growth;
• Lower-than-anticipated market acceptance of new or existing Ford products;
• An increase in or acceleration of market shift beyond Ford's current planning assumptions from sales of trucks, medium- and large-sized utilities, or other more profitable vehicles, particularly in the United States;
• An increase in fuel prices, continued volatility of fuel prices, or reduced availability of fuel;
• Continued or increased price competition resulting from industry overcapacity, currency fluctuations or other factors;
• Adverse effects from the bankruptcy, insolvency, or government-funded restructuring of, change in ownership or control of, or alliances entered into by a major competitor;
• Economic distress of suppliers may require Ford to provide substantial financial support or take other measures to ensure supplies of components or materials and could increase Ford's costs, affect Ford's liquidity, or cause production constraints or disruptions;
• Work stoppages at Ford or supplier facilities or other interruptions of production;
• Single-source supply of components or materials;
• Restriction on use of tax attributes from tax law "ownership change";
• The discovery of defects in Ford vehicles resulting in delays in new model launches, recall campaigns, reputational damage or increased warranty costs;
• Increased safety, emissions, fuel economy or other regulation resulting in higher costs, cash expenditures and/or sales restrictions;
• Unusual or significant litigation, governmental investigations or adverse publicity arising out of alleged defects in Ford products, perceived environmental impacts, or otherwise;
• A change in Ford's requirements for parts where it has entered into long-term supply arrangements that commit it to purchase minimum or fixed quantities of certain parts, or to pay a minimum amount to the seller ("take-or-pay contracts");
• Adverse effects on Ford's results from a decrease in or cessation or clawback of government incentives related to capital investments;
• Adverse effects on Ford's operations resulting from certain geo-political or other events;
• Substantial levels of indebtedness adversely affecting Ford's financial condition or preventing Ford from fulfilling its debt obligations;

Ford Credit Related:

• Inability to access debt, securitization or derivative markets around the world at competitive rates or in sufficient amounts due to credit rating downgrades, market volatility, market disruption, regulatory requirements or other factors;
• Higher-than-expected credit losses;
• Increased competition from banks or other financial institutions seeking to increase their share of financing Ford vehicles;
• Collection and servicing problems related to our finance receivables and net investment in operating leases;
• Lower-than-anticipated residual values or higher-than-expected return volumes for leased vehicles;
• New or increased credit, consumer or data protection or other laws and regulations resulting in higher costs and/or additional financing restrictions;
• Imposition of additional costs or restrictions due to the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and its implementing rules and regulations;
• Changes in Ford's operations or changes in Ford's marketing programs could result in a decline in our financing volumes;

General:

• Fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates and interest rates;
• Failure of financial institutions to fulfill commitments under committed credit and liquidity facilities;
• Labor or other constraints on Ford's or our ability to maintain competitive cost structure;
• Substantial pension and postretirement healthcare and life insurance liabilities impairing Ford's or our liquidity or financial condition;
• Worse-than-assumed economic and demographic experience for postretirement benefit plans (e.g., discount rates or investment returns); and
• Inherent limitations of internal controls impacting financial statements and safeguarding of assets.

We cannot be certain that any expectations, forecasts, or assumptions made by management in preparing these forward-looking statements will prove accurate, or that any projections will be realized.  It is to be expected that there may be differences between projected and actual results.  Our forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of their initial issuance, and we do not undertake any obligation to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.  For additional discussion of these risk factors, see Item 1A of Part I of our 2010 10-K Report and Item 1A of Part I of Ford's 2010 10-K Report.

SOURCE Ford Motor Credit Company