Harley-Davidson, Inc. (NYSE:HOG) Given Consensus Recommendation of “Hold” by Brokerages

Shares of Harley-Davidson, Inc. (NYSE:HOG) have received an average rating of “Hold” from the eleven ratings firms that are presently covering the company, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation, five have assigned a hold recommendation, three have issued a buy recommendation and one has assigned a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average 1 year price objective among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is $24.3333.

Several analysts have recently weighed in on the company. UBS Group lifted their target price on Harley-Davidson from $19.00 to $26.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Monday, May 11th. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Harley-Davidson from a “sell (d+)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a report on Thursday, June 18th. Zacks Research raised Harley-Davidson from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, April 27th. Citigroup upped their price target on Harley-Davidson from $23.00 to $26.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, May 7th. Finally, Robert W. Baird set a $28.00 price target on Harley-Davidson in a report on Wednesday, May 6th.

Harley-Davidson Stock Performance

HOG traded up $0.31 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $25.16. 2,026,260 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,729,681. The stock has a market capitalization of $2.65 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.29, a P/E/G ratio of 14.98 and a beta of 1.26. The company has a quick ratio of 1.66, a current ratio of 1.91 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.37. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $24.82 and its 200-day moving average price is $21.95. Harley-Davidson has a 52-week low of $17.09 and a 52-week high of $31.25.

Harley-Davidson (NYSE:HOG) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, May 5th. The company reported $0.22 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.34 by ($0.12). Harley-Davidson had a return on equity of 7.03% and a net margin of 5.68%.The firm had revenue of $1.17 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.01 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $1.07 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was down 11.7% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Harley-Davidson will post 0.4 EPS for the current year.

Harley-Davidson Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, June 25th. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 8th were given a $0.1875 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, June 8th. This represents a $0.75 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.0%. Harley-Davidson’s dividend payout ratio is presently 42.61%.

Insider Activity

In other news, CFO Jonathan R. Root sold 1,554 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, July 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $24.44, for a total value of $37,979.76. Following the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 29,400 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $718,536. The trade was a 5.02% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, insider Paul J. Krause sold 1,564 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, May 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $26.00, for a total transaction of $40,664.00. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 30,012 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $780,312. The trade was a 4.95% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 4,672 shares of company stock valued at $116,266. 0.97% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Harley-Davidson

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Harley-Davidson by 139.0% during the 3rd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 944 shares of the company’s stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 549 shares during the period. Pinnacle Holdings LLC purchased a new stake in Harley-Davidson during the fourth quarter worth about $30,000. Fifth Third Bancorp lifted its position in shares of Harley-Davidson by 48.9% during the fourth quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 1,764 shares of the company’s stock worth $36,000 after purchasing an additional 579 shares in the last quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc lifted its position in shares of Harley-Davidson by 858.2% during the second quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 1,629 shares of the company’s stock worth $40,000 after purchasing an additional 1,459 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Geneos Wealth Management Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Harley-Davidson by 153.8% in the first quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 2,109 shares of the company’s stock valued at $53,000 after purchasing an additional 1,278 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 85.10% of the company’s stock.

Harley-Davidson Company Profile

Harley-Davidson, Inc is a renowned American motorcycle manufacturer best known for its heavyweight cruiser and touring bikes. Founded in 1903 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the company has built a strong reputation for producing distinctive motorcycles characterized by their signature V-twin engines, chrome finishes and robust frames. Harley-Davidson markets its products globally through a network of franchised dealerships and focuses on delivering an immersive brand experience to its customers, emphasizing lifestyle and community alongside its motorcycles.

In addition to its core motorcycle business, Harley-Davidson offers an extensive range of parts, accessories and apparel under its Genuine Motor Parts & Accessories and MotorClothes lines.