Harley-Davidson (NYSE:HOG) Stock Sees Heavy Call Option Buying

Key Points

• Unusually high options activity: Investors purchased 3,586 Harley-Davidson call options, approximately 225% above the typical daily volume, signaling increased bullish speculative interest.
• Insiders increased their holdings: CEO Artie Starrs bought 10,000 shares for $258,900, while Chief Accounting Officer Gayle Littleton purchased 7,500 shares for $197,850. Institutional investors own approximately 85.1% of the stock.
• Mixed financial and analyst signals: Harley-Davidson’s latest quarterly EPS of $0.40 missed expectations and revenue fell 19.3% year over year, but Citigroup raised its price target to $37 and the stock carries a “Moderate Buy” consensus rating with a $29.91 average target.

Harley-Davidson, Inc. (NYSE:HOG - Get Free Report) was the target of unusually large options trading activity on Friday. Investors purchased 3,586 call options on the company. This is an increase of approximately 225% compared to the typical daily volume of 1,103 call options.

Insider Activity at Harley-Davidson

In other Harley-Davidson news, CEO Artie Starrs bought 10,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 10th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $25.89 per share, for a total transaction of $258,900.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 25,000 shares in the company, valued at approximately $647,250. The trade was a 66.67% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CAO Gayle Littleton bought 7,500 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 11th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $26.38 per share, with a total value of $197,850.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the chief accounting officer owned 7,500 shares in the company, valued at $197,850. This represents a ∞ increase in their position. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 4,667 shares of company stock worth $119,423. Company insiders own 0.97% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Harley-Davidson

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al boosted its holdings in Harley-Davidson by 4.0% in the third quarter. VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al now owns 122,400 shares of the company's stock worth $2,990,000 after acquiring an additional 4,700 shares in the last quarter. Roman Butler Fullerton & Co. purchased a new position in Harley-Davidson during the 3rd quarter worth $235,000. RWC Asset Management LLP bought a new stake in Harley-Davidson in the 3rd quarter worth about $19,292,000. Root Financial Partners LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Harley-Davidson during the third quarter valued at approximately $37,000. Finally, Nisa Investment Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Harley-Davidson by 3.4% during the 3rd quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC now owns 96,976 shares of the company's stock worth $2,369,000 after purchasing an additional 3,208 shares during the period. 85.10% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Harley-Davidson Stock Performance

Harley-Davidson stock traded up $0.73 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $31.06. 3,252,575 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,849,517. The stock's 50-day simple moving average is $27.14 and its 200 day simple moving average is $23.91. Harley-Davidson has a 52 week low of $17.09 and a 52 week high of $31.23. The firm has a market cap of $3.23 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.06, a P/E/G ratio of 8.26 and a beta of 1.30. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.36, a quick ratio of 1.70 and a current ratio of 1.90.

Harley-Davidson (NYSE:HOG - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, October 29th. The company reported $0.40 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.47 by ($0.07). Harley-Davidson had a net margin of 4.78% and a return on equity of 6.28%. The firm had revenue of $1.08 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.07 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $3.10 EPS. Harley-Davidson's revenue for the quarter was down 19.3% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts expect that Harley-Davidson will post 0.66 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Harley-Davidson Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, September 29th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, September 15th were issued a $0.1875 dividend. This represents a $0.75 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, September 15th. Harley-Davidson's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 46.01%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms have commented on HOG. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Harley-Davidson from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Saturday, October 10th. Loop Capital raised shares of Harley-Davidson from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $32.00 price target for the company in a research note on Monday, July 20th. UBS Group boosted their target price on Harley-Davidson from $26.00 to $28.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Wednesday, September 2nd. Robert W. Baird raised their price objective on Harley-Davidson from $28.00 to $30.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Friday, July 24th. Finally, Citigroup raised their price objective on shares of Harley-Davidson from $33.00 to $37.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Friday. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have given a Buy rating, four have assigned a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $29.91.

Trending Headlines about Harley-Davidson

Here are the key news stories impacting Harley-Davidson this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Raised 2026 outlook: Harley-Davidson raised its full-year guidance for both Harley-Davidson Motor Company (HDMC) and Harley-Davidson Financial Services (HDFS) for the second time this year. Full-year motorcycle retail sales and wholesale shipments are now projected at 135,500–139,000 units. Harley-Davidson Reports Third Quarter Financial Results And Raises HDMC and HDFS Guidance
• Positive Sentiment: Improving retail demand: North American retail motorcycle sales rose 9% year over year in the third quarter, accelerating from 3% growth in the prior quarter. Global retail sales increased 5%, while dealer inventory ended the quarter 26% below the year-earlier level. Harley-Davidson Lifts 2026 Outlook
• Positive Sentiment: Positive analyst action and options activity: Citigroup raised its price target from $33 to $37 and initiated a “buy” rating. Traders also purchased 3,586 call options, roughly 225% above average volume, signaling increased bullish speculative interest.
• Positive Sentiment: Shareholder returns: Harley-Davidson returned $110 million to shareholders during the quarter, including $91 million in share repurchases and $19 million in dividends.
• Neutral Sentiment: Board changes: The company appointed two new independent directors, potentially supporting governance and strategic oversight.
• Negative Sentiment: Quarterly earnings missed expectations: Adjusted diluted EPS was $0.40, below the roughly $0.44–$0.47 analyst consensus. Revenue declined year over year, while HDMC shipments fell 8% to 33,616 units. Harley-Davidson Q3 Earnings and Revenues Miss Estimates
• Negative Sentiment: Profitability weakened sharply: Net income attributable to Harley-Davidson fell to $43 million from $377 million a year earlier, reflecting a difficult comparison and lower HDFS earnings. Wells Fargo raised its target from $20 to $25 but maintained an “underweight” rating, highlighting continued downside risk.

About Harley-Davidson

Harley-Davidson, Inc is a Milwaukee-based company that designs, manufactures and sells heavyweight motorcycles. Its product portfolio includes touring, cruiser, standard and adventure-touring motorcycles sold under the Harley-Davidson brand, as well as electric motorcycles offered through its LiveWire business.

The company also provides motorcycle parts, accessories, apparel and related merchandise. Through Harley-Davidson Financial Services, it offers financing and insurance products to motorcycle dealers and retail customers in supported markets.

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