Harley-Davidson Sees Unusually High Options Volume (NYSE:HOG)

Harley-Davidson, Inc. (NYSE:HOG) saw unusually large options trading activity on Tuesday. Stock traders purchased 13,032 call options on the company. This is an increase of 209% compared to the average daily volume of 4,218 call options.

Harley-Davidson Stock Up 4.4%

HOG stock traded up $1.11 during trading on Tuesday, reaching $26.46. 1,200,161 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,903,969. Harley-Davidson has a 12 month low of $20.45 and a 12 month high of $39.93. The company has a market capitalization of $3.22 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 7.94, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.38 and a beta of 1.30. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.41, a quick ratio of 1.19 and a current ratio of 1.40. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $23.78 and a 200 day simple moving average of $27.56.

Harley-Davidson (NYSE:HOG) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 1st. The company reported $1.07 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.80 by $0.27. The business had revenue of $315.24 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.12 billion. Harley-Davidson had a net margin of 9.25% and a return on equity of 13.64%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was down 23.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $1.72 earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Harley-Davidson will post 3.44 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Harley-Davidson Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, June 18th. Investors of record on Monday, June 2nd will be given a dividend of $0.18 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, June 2nd. This represents a $0.72 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.72%. Harley-Davidson’s dividend payout ratio is presently 26.87%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have weighed in on the company. Citigroup reduced their target price on Harley-Davidson from $29.00 to $28.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, April 2nd. Morgan Stanley reduced their price target on Harley-Davidson from $33.00 to $31.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, February 6th. DA Davidson reissued a “buy” rating and set a $31.00 price objective on shares of Harley-Davidson in a research note on Wednesday, April 9th. UBS Group cut their target price on Harley-Davidson from $35.00 to $28.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, February 20th. Finally, Robert W. Baird upped their price objective on Harley-Davidson from $26.00 to $28.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 14th. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, one has issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $30.17.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Harley-Davidson

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in HOG. Donald Smith & CO. Inc. grew its holdings in Harley-Davidson by 104.0% during the first quarter. Donald Smith & CO. Inc. now owns 3,409,696 shares of the company’s stock worth $86,095,000 after acquiring an additional 1,738,017 shares during the period. Millennium Management LLC purchased a new position in Harley-Davidson in the first quarter valued at $33,884,000. Pacer Advisors Inc. raised its position in shares of Harley-Davidson by 30.7% in the fourth quarter. Pacer Advisors Inc. now owns 5,468,089 shares of the company’s stock worth $164,754,000 after acquiring an additional 1,285,225 shares during the period. Brickwood Asset Management LLP purchased a new stake in shares of Harley-Davidson during the 4th quarter worth about $27,783,000. Finally, Raymond James Financial Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Harley-Davidson during the 4th quarter valued at about $18,802,000. 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.