Harley-Davidson (NYSE:HOG) Upgraded at Wall Street Zen

Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Harley-Davidson (NYSE:HOG) from a sell rating to a hold rating in a report issued on Saturday,Wall Street Zen reports.

HOG has been the topic of a number of other reports. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Harley-Davidson from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a report on Tuesday, August 11th. Morgan Stanley upped their target price on shares of Harley-Davidson from $15.00 to $17.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, July 28th. DA Davidson increased their target price on shares of Harley-Davidson from $30.00 to $33.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, August 17th. Citigroup raised their price target on shares of Harley-Davidson from $27.00 to $31.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday, September 8th. Finally, Robert W. Baird upped their price target on shares of Harley-Davidson from $28.00 to $30.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, July 24th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have assigned a Buy rating, five have issued a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $27.44.

Harley-Davidson Stock Up 1.2%

Harley-Davidson stock opened at $26.25 on Friday. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $26.85 and a 200 day simple moving average of $24.32. The company has a current ratio of 1.90, a quick ratio of 1.70 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.36. Harley-Davidson has a 1-year low of $17.09 and a 1-year high of $29.88. The firm has a market capitalization of $2.73 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.10, a P/E/G ratio of 8.52 and a beta of 1.29.

Harley-Davidson (NYSE:HOG) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, July 23rd. The company reported $0.75 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.65 by $0.10. The firm had revenue of $1.23 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.17 billion. Harley-Davidson had a return on equity of 6.28% and a net margin of 4.78%.The business’s quarterly revenue was down 5.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $0.88 earnings per share. On average, analysts predict that Harley-Davidson will post 0.56 earnings per share for the current year.

Harley-Davidson Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 29th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, September 15th will be given a dividend of $0.1875 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, September 15th. This represents a $0.75 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.9%. Harley-Davidson’s payout ratio is presently 46.01%.

Insider Activity at Harley-Davidson

In related news, Director Daniel J. Nova acquired 40,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, July 31st. The stock was bought at an average cost of $24.57 per share, with a total value of $982,800.00. Following the acquisition, the director owned 47,605 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,169,654.85. The trade was a 525.97% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CEO Artie Starrs bought 10,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 10th. The stock was bought at an average price of $25.89 per share, with a total value of $258,900.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 25,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $647,250. This represents a 66.67% increase in their position. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. In the last 90 days, insiders acquired 57,500 shares of company stock worth $1,439,550 and sold 4,662 shares worth $119,316. Corporate insiders own 0.97% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Harley-Davidson

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of HOG. State of Michigan Retirement System increased its holdings in shares of Harley-Davidson by 1.8% in the 1st quarter. State of Michigan Retirement System now owns 28,461 shares of the company’s stock worth $575,000 after purchasing an additional 500 shares in the last quarter. Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund lifted its holdings in shares of Harley-Davidson by 2.5% during the first quarter. Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund now owns 24,251 shares of the company’s stock valued at $490,000 after purchasing an additional 600 shares in the last quarter. Syon Capital LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Harley-Davidson by 4.2% during the second quarter. Syon Capital LLC now owns 16,333 shares of the company’s stock valued at $400,000 after purchasing an additional 657 shares in the last quarter. Aberdeen Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Harley-Davidson during the second quarter valued at $29,000. Finally, State of Wyoming increased its holdings in Harley-Davidson by 11.6% in the 1st quarter. State of Wyoming now owns 12,124 shares of the company’s stock worth $245,000 after buying an additional 1,259 shares in the last quarter. 85.10% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Harley-Davidson Company Profile

Harley-Davidson, Inc is a Milwaukee, Wisconsin-based motorcycle company founded in 1903. Through its Harley-Davidson Motor Company business, it designs, manufactures and sells heavyweight motorcycles known for their touring, cruiser and performance-oriented models. The company also markets motorcycle parts, accessories, riding gear, apparel and branded merchandise.

Harley-Davidson sells its products through a network of independently owned dealerships and other distribution channels in North America and international markets, including Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia-Pacific and Latin America.