Many Ford Motor (NYSE:F) bulls can't understand why the stock is down 10% year to date especially when you consider the bumper quarters this company has enjoyed. Last quarter the company reported net income of $1.9 billion or EPS before special items of $0.45. In the same quarter 12 months ago, the company posted net income of $833 million which again illustrates the earnings growth path the company is currently on.

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Better pricing and higher shipments were the main reasons for the huge growth in net income in the third quarter but the Ford stock still sold off more than 5% after earnings as it missed analysts expectations due to higher than expected taxes.

On the earnings call, the company stated that the slight earnings miss was the reason for the stock sell off but I think there is something more going on here. Why? Well in the second quarter of this year, the company announced $1.88 billion in net income or an adjusted EPS of $0.47 (see chart) which was a significant earnings beat but the stock still wasn't able to rally on the news.

So the question remains - What does Ford have to do to get its stock back up to $20 a share? The company pays an attractive dividend of $0.15 a share which equates to a 4.29% yield. I may be a lone voice here but if Ford stock can't rally now, what would happen if the US were to enter a recession and customer credit contracted? The US on average has a recession every 6 years. It has been 8 years since our last one which means we are due one any time soon. In any event, value investors are still staying away from Ford stock despite have a low price to earnings ratio and a high dividend. Here in my opinion are some reasons why...

Ford's Track-record Doesn't Inspire Confidence

Firstly we have to look at the Ford stock's history to explain why value investors are not interested at present. Dividend investors will note the dividend was halted in 2006 and was re-initiated in 2012. This is the first reason why growth investors would be staying away despite the current high yield. Below are more of its important fundamental metrics over a 10 year period.

The numbers never lie. Half of the company's most important fundamental metrics over a 10 year period are falling. The last metric "resistant to recessions" is probably the prime reason why investors are not that attracted to this stock. If a recession struck (which could happen if the Fed raises rates) and sales fall, I see the dividend being cut (as the company has done before). This is why this company will find it difficult to compete with the likes of McDonalds (NYSE:MCD) and Procter & Gamble (P&G) (NYSE:PG) who despite having their own rough times have always raised their dividends consistently every year.

Ford Is Fairly Valued

The second point I want to address is Ford's valuation which to many appears cheap. Ford currently is trading with a current price to earnings ratio of 11.6 and a forward price to earnings of 7.3. Paying under $12 for every $1 of profits the company generates seems cheap but we have to go deeper. Firstly Ford's 5 year price to earnings average is 8. In fact Ford's Price to earnings ratio hasn't been this high since 2009 when it was also 11.6 (Year end numbers).

Furthermore revenues might have grown since 2008 but operating margins and net income numbers tell a different story. Ford bulls compare this year's figures to last years (2014) which are undoubtedly better across all main metrics (Revenue, net income, operating margins, etc). However if you compare 2015 figures to 2012 figures (where Ford stock ended out the year at around $14 a share) things look entirely different. Ford ended 2012 doing $5.6 billion in net income on $134 billion in revenues. This gave the company an operating margin of 4.7% for 2012 and remember the stock was trading at the same levels as we are at today.

Fast forward to 2015 and the company is expected to do $4.7 billion in net income on a little over $145 billion in revenues, giving the company an average operating margin of 4.1%. What's the takeaway here? Ignore top line results and don't just compare earnings with the previous year. This company is currently trading at $14 a share because that's what the market believes its worth - based on past numbers and forward looking guidance.

Risk From Sub-prime Lending

Finally regulators have finally raised a red flag on auto lending and the reasons are clear. During the first part of 2015, lenders gave out more than $56 billion in sub-prime loans which is a 13% increase over 2014. Secondly almost a third of new cars sold in the second quarter of this year have loans of up to 7 years which again illustrates that some buyers should not be getting credit.

The sub-prime mess in the housing market in 2006 seems to have transferred over to the auto sector which is why I believe the auto-mobile industry would be one of the first sectors to crack if the US were to enter a recession. Zero percent interest rates and desperate banks have been the primary culprits of the ensuing auto credit bubble. Eventually the chicks come home to roost.

Ford Stock Has Downside Risk

To sum up, I believe Ford stock is fairly valued and more risk exists in my opinion to the downside. The company is not diversified when you compare its US sales to internationally. Its a pure US play which again elevated risk. It's long term fundamentals are weak and its 2015 momentum has been mainly propped up by cheap credit and cheap oil. Don't get lured in by the dividend and perceived low valuation.