Ford’s climbing sales lift its stock price

Ford Motor Co. rose 1.5 percent after carmakers reported December sales that beat analysts’ estimates, capping the industry’s best year since 2008. Ford, the second-biggest US automaker, said total sales rose 10 percent; sales in the United States increased 17 percent in 2011. Sales by Ford’s namesake brand totaled about 2.06 million, the most by any automotive brand since 2007.