Wells Fargo & Company Initiates Coverage on Polaris (NYSE:PII)

Key Points

• Wells Fargo initiated coverage of Polaris with an "equal weight" rating and a $52 price target, implying roughly a 1.4% downside from the current share price.
• Several brokerages have recently cut ratings and targets; MarketBeat shows a consensus rating of "Reduce" and a consensus price target of $58.45.
• Polaris beat Q results (EPS $0.08 vs $0.06 estimate; revenue $1.92B vs $1.82B estimate) and set FY2026 guidance of $1.50–$1.60 EPS, but retains a negative net margin and has seen substantial insider selling (50,419 shares sold in the last 90 days).

Research analysts at Wells Fargo & Company initiated coverage on shares of Polaris (NYSE:PII - Get Free Report) in a research note issued on Wednesday. The brokerage set an "equal weight" rating and a $52.00 price target on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company's price target would suggest a potential downside of 1.41% from the stock's current price.

Several other equities analysts have also recently issued reports on the company. Zacks Research cut Polaris from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Friday, December 12th. Morgan Stanley cut their price target on Polaris from $81.00 to $74.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, February 17th. Weiss Ratings cut Polaris from a "hold (c-)" rating to a "sell (d+)" rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 17th. Royal Bank Of Canada lowered their price target on shares of Polaris to $67.00 and set a "sector perform" rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, January 27th. Finally, Loop Capital began coverage on Polaris in a research note on Thursday, November 13th. They issued a "hold" rating and a $59.00 price target on the stock. Twelve investment analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Polaris currently has a consensus rating of "Reduce" and a consensus price target of $58.45.

Polaris Stock Up 0.0%

Shares of NYSE PII opened at $52.75 on Wednesday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.35, a current ratio of 0.98 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.81. Polaris has a 52-week low of $30.92 and a 52-week high of $75.25. The stock has a market capitalization of $2.99 billion, a PE ratio of -6.45 and a beta of 1.19. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $65.54 and a 200-day moving average of $64.18.

Polaris (NYSE:PII - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, January 27th. The company reported $0.08 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.06 by $0.02. Polaris had a negative net margin of 6.51% and a negative return on equity of 0.05%. The firm had revenue of $1.92 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.82 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $0.92 EPS. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 9.5% on a year-over-year basis. Polaris has set its FY 2026 guidance at 1.500-1.600 EPS and its Q1 2026 guidance at 0.450-0.450 EPS. On average, analysts anticipate that Polaris will post 1.11 EPS for the current year.

Insider Transactions at Polaris

In other news, CEO Michael T. Speetzen sold 35,086 shares of Polaris stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $66.83, for a total transaction of $2,344,797.38. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 136,362 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $9,113,072.46. This trade represents a 20.46% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, insider Benjamin D. Duke sold 10,090 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $66.82, for a total transaction of $674,213.80. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 30,242 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,020,770.44. This represents a 25.02% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 50,419 shares of company stock valued at $3,371,183. 3.12% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Polaris

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in PII. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. raised its holdings in Polaris by 677.2% in the 1st quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 544,295 shares of the company's stock valued at $22,283,000 after acquiring an additional 474,259 shares in the last quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC grew its holdings in shares of Polaris by 27.5% during the 1st quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 183,289 shares of the company's stock worth $7,504,000 after purchasing an additional 39,584 shares in the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp increased its position in shares of Polaris by 51.5% in the second quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 1,151,301 shares of the company's stock worth $46,800,000 after purchasing an additional 391,209 shares during the period. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust raised its stake in Polaris by 371.4% in the second quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 693 shares of the company's stock valued at $28,000 after purchasing an additional 546 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Allworth Financial LP raised its stake in Polaris by 577.1% in the second quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 8,193 shares of the company's stock valued at $333,000 after purchasing an additional 6,983 shares in the last quarter. 88.06% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Polaris

Polaris Inc, founded in 1954 and headquartered in Medina, Minnesota, is a diversified manufacturer of powersports vehicles and related products. Initially gaining prominence with its snowmobiles, Polaris expanded its portfolio over the decades to include all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), side-by-side off-road vehicles, and motorcycles. The company's legacy in recreational and utility vehicle innovation stems from early engineering breakthroughs that established Polaris as a leading name in off-road mobility.

Today, Polaris offers a broad range of products under well-known brands such as Polaris RANGER and POLARIS SPORTSMAN for utility and recreation markets, Slingshot three-wheel roadsters for on-road enthusiasts, and the Indian Motorcycle brand for premium two-wheeled touring and cruiser segments.

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