Harley-Davidson (NYSE:HOG) Upgraded by Zacks Research to Hold Rating

Key Points

• Zacks Research upgraded Harley‑Davidson from a "strong sell" to a "hold"; overall analyst sentiment is mixed but the MarketBeat consensus rating remains Hold with a $21.67 consensus target price.
• The company reported a quarterly EPS of -$2.44, missing estimates, with revenue of $496.16M down 9.8% year‑over‑year; analysts forecast about 0.6 EPS for the current fiscal year.
• Insider and institutional activity is notable: a director bought shares while another sold, and institutions now own roughly 85.1% of the stock, with firms like Invesco and HSBC recently increasing positions.

Harley-Davidson (NYSE:HOG - Get Free Report) was upgraded by analysts at Zacks Research from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report issued on Monday,Zacks.com reports.

A number of other equities research analysts have also recently issued reports on HOG. Weiss Ratings cut shares of Harley-Davidson from a "hold (c-)" rating to a "sell (d+)" rating in a report on Monday, March 2nd. Wells Fargo & Company initiated coverage on Harley-Davidson in a research report on Wednesday, March 11th. They issued an "underweight" rating and a $15.00 price target on the stock. Wall Street Zen lowered Harley-Davidson from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a report on Saturday, March 7th. Argus upgraded shares of Harley-Davidson to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 17th. Finally, DA Davidson dropped their target price on shares of Harley-Davidson from $30.00 to $25.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, February 12th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have issued a Buy rating, five have issued a Hold rating and three have assigned a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $21.67.

Harley-Davidson Price Performance

NYSE HOG opened at $23.41 on Monday. Harley-Davidson has a fifty-two week low of $17.09 and a fifty-two week high of $31.25. The stock's 50-day moving average is $20.24 and its two-hundred day moving average is $21.89. The firm has a market cap of $2.55 billion, a P/E ratio of 8.97 and a beta of 1.28. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.52, a current ratio of 2.10 and a quick ratio of 1.83.

Harley-Davidson (NYSE:HOG - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 10th. The company reported ($2.44) EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of ($0.92) by ($1.52). Harley-Davidson had a net margin of 8.03% and a return on equity of 10.27%. The company had revenue of $496.16 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $482.21 million. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted ($0.93) EPS. The business's revenue was down 9.8% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts anticipate that Harley-Davidson will post 0.6 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Director Rafeh Masood bought 2,775 shares of Harley-Davidson stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 27th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $18.00 per share, with a total value of $49,950.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 7,480 shares in the company, valued at $134,640. This trade represents a 58.98% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director James D. Farley, Jr. sold 6,454 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $18.71, for a total transaction of $120,754.34. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 16,205 shares in the company, valued at $303,195.55. This trade represents a 28.48% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Corporate insiders own 0.97% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Harley-Davidson

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of HOG. CHICAGO TRUST Co NA bought a new position in shares of Harley-Davidson during the 1st quarter worth approximately $222,000. Louisiana State Employees Retirement System acquired a new stake in shares of Harley-Davidson in the 1st quarter valued at $694,000. Hsbc Holdings PLC grew its holdings in shares of Harley-Davidson by 96.5% in the 4th quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC now owns 44,665 shares of the company's stock worth $920,000 after purchasing an additional 21,931 shares during the last quarter. Virtu Financial LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Harley-Davidson during the 4th quarter worth about $212,000. Finally, Invesco Ltd. lifted its holdings in Harley-Davidson by 52.1% during the 4th quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 703,826 shares of the company's stock valued at $14,421,000 after purchasing an additional 241,045 shares during the last quarter. 85.10% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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.

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