Harley-Davidson (NYSE:HOG) Trading 4.9% Higher – Here’s Why

Harley-Davidson, Inc. (NYSE:HOG) shares were up 4.9% during trading on Monday . The stock traded as high as $27.05 and last traded at $27.36. Approximately 302,832 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 83% from the average daily volume of 1,763,550 shares. The stock had previously closed at $26.09.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Citigroup cut their price target on shares of Harley-Davidson from $31.00 to $29.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, February 6th. UBS Group reduced their price target on Harley-Davidson from $35.00 to $28.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, February 20th. Bank of America lowered their price objective on Harley-Davidson from $40.00 to $35.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, January 30th. Robert W. Baird reduced their target price on Harley-Davidson from $40.00 to $36.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, December 31st. Finally, Morgan Stanley lowered their price target on Harley-Davidson from $33.00 to $31.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, February 6th. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Harley-Davidson currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $33.57.

Harley-Davidson Stock Up 2.7 %

The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $27.47 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $32.06. The company has a market capitalization of $3.34 billion, a P/E ratio of 8.05, a PEG ratio of 0.38 and a beta of 1.49. The company has a quick ratio of 1.19, a current ratio of 1.40 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.41.

Harley-Davidson (NYSE:HOG) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The company reported ($0.93) earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.65) by ($0.28). Harley-Davidson had a net margin of 9.25% and a return on equity of 13.64%. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $0.18 earnings per share. Equities research analysts anticipate that Harley-Davidson, Inc. will post 3.44 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Harley-Davidson Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 14th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 28th will be given a dividend of $0.18 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 28th. This is a boost from Harley-Davidson’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.17. This represents a $0.72 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.69%. Harley-Davidson’s payout ratio is currently 21.62%.

Insider Activity at Harley-Davidson

In related news, insider Luke Christopher Mansfield sold 3,400 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $25.96, for a total value of $88,264.00. Following the sale, the insider now owns 23,555 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $611,487.80. The trade was a 12.61 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. 0.87% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Harley-Davidson

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Pacer Advisors Inc. raised its stake in Harley-Davidson by 22,680.0% during the third quarter. Pacer Advisors Inc. now owns 4,182,864 shares of the company’s stock worth $161,166,000 after acquiring an additional 4,164,502 shares in the last quarter. Donald Smith & CO. Inc. acquired a new stake in Harley-Davidson during the 4th quarter valued at $50,368,000. Brickwood Asset Management LLP bought a new position in Harley-Davidson in the 4th quarter valued at $27,783,000. Raymond James Financial Inc. acquired a new position in Harley-Davidson in the fourth quarter worth $18,802,000. Finally, American Century Companies Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Harley-Davidson by 14.2% during the fourth quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 3,496,579 shares of the company’s stock worth $105,352,000 after purchasing an additional 435,200 shares during the last quarter. 85.10% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Harley-Davidson Company Profile

Harley-Davidson, Inc manufactures and sells motorcycles in the United States and internationally. The company operates in three segments: Harley-Davidson Motor Company, LiveWire, and Harley-Davidson Financial Services. The Harley-Davidson Motor Company segment designs, manufactures, and sells motorcycles, including cruiser, trike, touring, standard, sportbike, adventure, and dual sport, as well as motorcycle parts, accessories, and apparel, as well as licenses its trademarks and related services.