Ford Motor Co. expects the challenges that dragged down earnings for at least half of last year to stretch into 2019 but says its financial performance will improve, regardless.

The automaker, which is in the midst of an $11 billion restructuring effort that includes layoffs, is “sharpening our competitiveness, taking actions to improve our profitability and returns, and investing in our future,” CEO Jim Hackett said at a Detroit conference on Wednesday.