Slow Sales Blamed For Drop In Ford Profit

Ford Motor Co. said Wednesday its fourth-quarter profit fell 57.9 percent and 1995 earnings were down 22 percent, due mainly to slower sales, the cost of launching new models and losses in Latin America.

But the 1995 profit was fourth-highest for the No. 2 automaker.

Ford’s fourth-quarter earnings were $660 million, or 49 cents a share, compared with $1.6 billion, or $1.47, a year ago. But the company’s Financial Services Group contributed $644 million to the fourth-quarter profit.

Ford’s profit for the year was $4.1 billion, or $3.58 a share, compared with 1994’s record $5.3 billion, or $4.97 a share.

Annual revenues rose to $137 billion, from $128 billion in 1994.