Harley-Davidson (NYSE:HOG) Upgraded at Argus

Argus upgraded shares of Harley-Davidson (NYSE:HOG) to a strong-buy rating in a report released on Tuesday,Zacks.com reports.

Several other equities research analysts also recently commented on the stock. DA Davidson lowered their price target on Harley-Davidson from $30.00 to $25.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, February 12th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Harley-Davidson in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. Loop Capital initiated coverage on shares of Harley-Davidson in a research note on Tuesday, November 25th. They issued a “hold” rating and a $21.00 target price for the company. BMO Capital Markets reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and issued a $24.00 target price on shares of Harley-Davidson in a report on Wednesday, February 11th. Finally, Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an “underweight” rating and set a $12.00 target price on shares of Harley-Davidson in a report on Tuesday. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have issued a Buy rating, five have issued a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $23.50.

Harley-Davidson Price Performance

Harley-Davidson stock opened at $20.28 on Tuesday. The business’s 50 day simple moving average is $20.62 and its 200 day simple moving average is $24.58. Harley-Davidson has a 12 month low of $19.33 and a 12 month high of $31.25. The company has a market cap of $2.40 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 7.77, a PEG ratio of 0.89 and a beta of 1.39. The company has a current ratio of 2.10, a quick ratio of 1.83 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.52.

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

Harley-Davidson Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 17th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 2nd will be paid a $0.1875 dividend. This is an increase from Harley-Davidson’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.18. This represents a $0.75 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 2nd. Harley-Davidson’s payout ratio is currently 27.59%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of HOG. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC grew its holdings in Harley-Davidson by 139.0% during the third quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 944 shares of the company’s stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 549 shares during the period. Pinnacle Holdings LLC purchased a new position in Harley-Davidson in the 4th quarter worth $30,000. Fifth Third Bancorp increased its stake in Harley-Davidson by 48.9% in the 4th quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 1,764 shares of the company’s stock worth $36,000 after purchasing an additional 579 shares during the period. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. grew its holdings in Harley-Davidson by 153.8% in the 1st quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 2,109 shares of the company’s stock worth $53,000 after acquiring an additional 1,278 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Westfuller Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Harley-Davidson in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $67,000. 85.10% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.