Wells Fargo & Company Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation for Harley-Davidson (NYSE:HOG) Stock

Key Points

• Wells Fargo raised its price target on Harley‑Davidson to $19 but kept an "underweight" rating, which implies roughly a 25.5% downside from the stock's prior close.
• Harley‑Davidson's Q1 revenue of $1.17B beat estimates, but EPS of $0.22 missed the $0.34 consensus and margins were hit by a ~$45M tariff charge and LiveWire losses, driving operating income sharply lower.
• Management unveiled the "Back to the Bricks" turnaround plan (targets >$350M HDMC EBITDA by 2027 and ~$150M run‑rate savings) and cut dealer inventory, measures that support a recovery but rely on multi‑quarter product launches for sustained improvement.

Harley-Davidson (NYSE:HOG - Get Free Report) had its target price lifted by investment analysts at Wells Fargo & Company from $15.00 to $19.00 in a report issued on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has an "underweight" rating on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company's price target would indicate a potential downside of 25.51% from the stock's previous close.

HOG has been the subject of a number of other reports. DA Davidson reduced their target price on shares of Harley-Davidson from $30.00 to $25.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, February 12th. Robert W. Baird set a $28.00 price objective on Harley-Davidson in a report on Wednesday. Wall Street Zen cut Harley-Davidson from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research note on Saturday, March 7th. Morgan Stanley reissued an "underweight" rating and issued a $12.00 price objective on shares of Harley-Davidson in a research report on Tuesday, February 17th. Finally, Weiss Ratings downgraded Harley-Davidson from a "hold (c-)" rating to a "sell (d+)" rating in a research note on Monday, March 2nd. One investment 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 MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $22.78.

Harley-Davidson Stock Performance

Shares of HOG stock opened at $25.51 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.52, a quick ratio of 1.83 and a current ratio of 2.10. Harley-Davidson has a 52 week low of $17.09 and a 52 week high of $31.25. The company's 50 day moving average price is $20.47 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $21.84. The company has a market capitalization of $2.78 billion, a P/E ratio of 9.76 and a beta of 1.27.

Harley-Davidson (NYSE:HOG - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, May 5th. The company reported $0.22 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.34 by ($0.12). Harley-Davidson had a net margin of 8.03% and a return on equity of 10.27%. The company had revenue of $1.17 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.01 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $1.07 EPS. The firm's quarterly revenue was down 11.7% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts expect that Harley-Davidson will post 0.6 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director Rafeh Masood acquired 2,775 shares of Harley-Davidson stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 27th. The stock was bought at an average price of $18.00 per share, for a total transaction of $49,950.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director directly owned 7,480 shares in the company, valued at approximately $134,640. The trade was a 58.98% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director James D. Farley, Jr. sold 6,454 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $18.71, for a total value of $120,754.34. Following the transaction, the director owned 16,205 shares in the company, valued at approximately $303,195.55. This trade represents a 28.48% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders own 0.97% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Harley-Davidson

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC raised its holdings in Harley-Davidson by 139.0% in 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 in the last quarter. Pinnacle Holdings LLC bought a new position in Harley-Davidson in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Fifth Third Bancorp raised its position in Harley-Davidson by 48.9% during the fourth quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 1,764 shares of the company's stock valued at $36,000 after purchasing an additional 579 shares in the last quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Harley-Davidson by 153.8% in the 1st 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 in the last quarter. Finally, Westfuller Advisors LLC bought a new position in Harley-Davidson in the third quarter valued at about $67,000. Institutional investors own 85.10% of the company's stock.

More Harley-Davidson News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Revenue beat and retail demand — Q1 revenue of $1.17B topped consensus and global retail sales grew (North America +14%), suggesting end-customer demand is recovering rather than channel-stuffed, which supports a sustainable recovery thesis. MarketBeat Q1 recap
• Positive Sentiment: Dealer inventory reset — Management reduced global dealer inventory ~22% YoY and improved mix of current model-year bikes, which should improve dealer economics and reduce future discounting. That operational progress underpins investor optimism. MarketBeat on inventory
• Positive Sentiment: "Back to the Bricks" strategic plan — Management unveiled a turnaround with targets (>$350M HDMC EBITDA by 2027, $150M run-rate cost savings) and a product pivot toward lower-priced, entry bikes (Sprint 440cc H2 2026; Sportster 2027), giving a visible plan for volume and margin recovery. PR Newswire: Back to the Bricks
• Neutral Sentiment: Guidance & structural changes — Management reaffirmed 2026 guidance and continues to de-risk the balance sheet via the prior HDFS transaction (forward-flow model). These reduce financial risk but also remove a past earnings contributor, creating mixed near-term EPS implications. MarketBeat on guidance and HDFS
• Neutral Sentiment: Product roadmap timelines — The Sprint and Sportster launches are catalysts but are multi-quarter bets; investors will watch early retail traction and margin capture from Parts & Accessories. MarketBeat on product pivot
• Negative Sentiment: Q1 earnings miss — Reported EPS $0.22 missed the $0.34 consensus and fell sharply YoY (prior-year $1.07), highlighting near-term profitability deterioration despite revenue strength. Earnings call transcript
• Negative Sentiment: Tariff hit and margin squeeze — Q1 included a ~$45M tariff charge and management expects $75–$90M of tariffs for the year, a major drag on margins; operating income fell sharply (operating income down ~85% YoY). Benzinga tariff analysis
• Negative Sentiment: EV unit losses & removed finance income — LiveWire posted an $18M operating loss and HDFS revenues declined ~54% due to the previous sale/transition, both of which weigh on consolidated profitability. MarketBeat on LiveWire & HDFS
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst skepticism — UBS kept a Hold rating and a $19 PT citing demand uncertainty and margin risks, signaling limited near-term upside from current levels. TipRanks: UBS note

About Harley-Davidson

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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