F vs GM: Which Is the Better Buy in 2026?

Same yardstick, side by side (as of August 2026). Valuation lined up like this is most meaningful for two names in the same corner of the market, which these are. Figures are approximate; verify before investing.

Reading it: GM is the cheaper of the two on forward earnings, but cheaper is not the same as better. Pair the valuation with growth (how far the forward P/E sits below the trailing P/E) and risk (beta) before you decide.

The metrics above tell you which is the marginally better business. The bigger risk for most people is not picking the slightly worse stock, it is over-concentrating. F and GM share themes, so owning both, or adding either to what you already hold, can quietly push a large share of your portfolio into one bet.

This is the part a generic comparison page cannot answer, because it depends on what you own. Connect your brokerage and Walnut shows your real, combined F and GM exposure, flags overlap with your existing positions, and tells you if adding one would tip you past a concentration you are comfortable with, read-only by default, with your login staying at your broker. Walnut is not an investment adviser.

Ford Motor Company designs, manufactures, and sells trucks, SUVs, vans, and cars worldwide, along with Ford Credit financing. Since 2022 it has reported results across three operating segments: Ford Blue (traditional gas and hybrid vehicles, anchored by the F-Series trucks), Ford Pro (commercial vehicles, fleet software, and services), and Ford Model e (its electric-vehicle business). Ford Pro is the standout, generating roughly $66 billion of revenue and about $6.8 billion of EBIT in 2025 at a double-digit margin, making it the company's profit engine, while Ford Blue remains a large but lower-margin volume business.

Full F guide

General Motors Company is a Detroit-based global automaker that designs, manufactures, and sells trucks, crossovers, cars, and automobile parts under the Chevrolet, GMC, Buick, and Cadillac brands, and provides automotive financing through its GM Financial arm. The overwhelming majority of its profit comes from North America, where full-size pickup trucks (the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra) and a broad lineup of crossovers and SUVs command strong pricing and margins. GM also operates through equity joint ventures in China, holds a portfolio of electric vehicles built on its Ultium battery platform, and had been developing autonomous-driving technology through Cruise before folding that effort into a leaner in-house driver-assistance program.

Full GM guide

Both fit overlapping themes, but they are not interchangeable. The useful comparison is which set of drivers and risks you want exposure to.

• F drivers: Ford Pro as the profit engine; Hybrids and the pragmatic powertrain pivot.
• GM drivers: Truck and SUV profit engine plus capital return; EV rightsizing to cut losses.

A faster-growing, richer-valued name usually swings harder, so it suits a longer horizon and a higher tolerance for volatility; a steadier, more cash-generative business suits a more conservative or income-minded investor. The honest test is which set of risks you could hold through a drawdown: Ford Model e continues to lose billions per year, and large EV-related charges pushed full-year 2025 to a net loss of about $8.2 billion, so consolidated results can swing sharply. For GM, gM is deeply cyclical: new-vehicle demand, pricing, and margins can fall sharply in a recession or when interest rates raise the cost of auto loans.

Growth-minded investors who believe the theme has years to run tend to accept the richer multiple for more upside; value-minded investors lean toward the cheaper forward earnings and steadier profile. Pick F if you believe its drivers more; GM if you believe its. Many investors hold both, but since they share themes, that is a concentrated bet, not diversification. Decide deliberately and check overlap. For the full detail, see the F and GM guides.

F. Ford guided to full-year 2026 adjusted EBIT of roughly $8.0 billion to $10.5 billion and adjusted free cash flow of about $5 billion to $6 billion. The valuation looks undemanding on an earnings basis, but the low multiple reflects cyclicality, EV losses, and tariff uncertainty rather than a simple bargain. Figures are approximate and shift with each quarterly report.

GM. GM's trailing P/E of roughly 31x is misleading because 2025 GAAP net income of about $2.7 billion was suppressed by more than $7.2 billion of one-time EV realignment charges; on a forward basis against 2026 adjusted EPS guidance of about $11.50 to $13.50, the multiple compresses to roughly 6x, one of the lowest among large-cap US companies. That gap reflects a market that treats GM as a deeply cyclical, tariff-exposed automaker rather than a growth compounder. Heavy buybacks (a new $6.0 billion authorization) and a raised dividend show management returning capital while the shares trade at a low earnings multiple.

Headline figures (approximate, JUNE 2026): F shows revenue (ttm) ~$190 billion, revenue (fy2025) ~$187 billion, q1 2026 revenue ~$43.3 billion (up ~6% YoY), q1 2026 eps ~$0.66; GM shows revenue (fy 2025) ~$185 billion, net income (fy 2025) ~$2.7 billion (after ~$7.2 billion of special charges), ebit-adjusted (fy 2025) ~$12.7 billion, 2026 ebit-adjusted guidance ~$13.5 billion to $15.5 billion (~$11.50 to $13.50 adjusted EPS).

F and GM are related but distinct: same themes, different businesses and risks. Neither wins in the abstract; the right pick is whichever thesis you actually believe, sized so you are not over-concentrated in one theme. Walnut can show your combined F and GM exposure against your real portfolio. It is not an investment adviser.