UBS Group Cuts Harley-Davidson (NYSE:HOG) Price Target to $19.00

Harley-Davidson (NYSE:HOG) had its price target trimmed by UBS Group from $27.00 to $19.00 in a report issued on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a neutral rating on the stock.

Several other equities research analysts have also commented on the stock. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Harley-Davidson from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “sell (d+)” rating in a research note on Monday. DA Davidson decreased 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. Citigroup lowered their target price on shares of Harley-Davidson from $28.00 to $23.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, January 14th. Argus upgraded Harley-Davidson to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 17th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $24.00 price objective on shares of Harley-Davidson in a research report on Wednesday, February 11th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have issued a Buy rating, four have given a Hold rating and three have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $22.50.

Harley-Davidson Stock Performance

Shares of Harley-Davidson stock opened at $19.22 on Wednesday. The company has a current ratio of 2.10, a quick ratio of 1.83 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.52. The firm has a market capitalization of $2.15 billion, a P/E ratio of 7.36 and a beta of 1.42. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $20.13 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $24.08. Harley-Davidson has a 12 month low of $17.11 and a 12 month high of $31.25.

Harley-Davidson (NYSE:HOG) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, February 10th. The company reported ($2.44) earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.92) by ($1.52). The business had revenue of $496.16 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $482.21 million. Harley-Davidson had a return on equity of 10.27% and a net margin of 8.03%.The firm’s quarterly revenue was down 9.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned ($0.93) earnings per share. On average, equities analysts forecast that Harley-Davidson will post 3.44 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Harley-Davidson Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 17th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 2nd will be paid a dividend of $0.1875 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 2nd. This represents a $0.75 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.9%. This is an increase from Harley-Davidson’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.18. Harley-Davidson’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 28.74%.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director Rafeh Masood bought 2,775 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, February 27th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $18.00 per share, with a total value of $49,950.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director owned 7,480 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $134,640. This represents a 58.98% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director James D. Farley, Jr. sold 6,454 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $18.71, for a total transaction of $120,754.34. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 16,205 shares in the company, valued at approximately $303,195.55. This represents a 28.48% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. 0.93% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Harley-Davidson

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its stake in Harley-Davidson by 7.3% during the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 12,958,561 shares of the company’s stock valued at $361,544,000 after purchasing an additional 886,998 shares during the last quarter. Donald Smith & CO. Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Harley-Davidson by 30.8% in the 4th quarter. Donald Smith & CO. Inc. now owns 8,899,204 shares of the company’s stock worth $182,345,000 after purchasing an additional 2,095,477 shares in the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP raised its stake in shares of Harley-Davidson by 0.4% in the third quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 6,597,336 shares of the company’s stock worth $184,072,000 after purchasing an additional 28,828 shares during the last quarter. Boston Partners raised its stake in shares of Harley-Davidson by 2.1% in the third quarter. Boston Partners now owns 4,021,078 shares of the company’s stock worth $112,179,000 after purchasing an additional 84,516 shares during the last quarter. Finally, American Century Companies Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Harley-Davidson by 1.6% during the third quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 3,946,754 shares of the company’s stock valued at $110,114,000 after purchasing an additional 62,647 shares in the last quarter. 85.10% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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.