Harley-Davidson (NYSE:HOG) Reaches New 1-Year High – Here’s What Happened

Harley-Davidson, Inc. (NYSE:HOG)’s stock price hit a new 52-week high on Thursday. The company traded as high as $31.12 and last traded at $29.8620, with a volume of 458,846 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $29.52.

Key Headlines Impacting Harley-Davidson

Here are the key news stories impacting Harley-Davidson this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Raised 2026 outlook: Harley-Davidson raised its full-year guidance for both Harley-Davidson Motor Company (HDMC) and Harley-Davidson Financial Services (HDFS) for the second time this year. Full-year motorcycle retail sales and wholesale shipments are now projected at 135,500–139,000 units. Harley-Davidson Reports Third Quarter Financial Results And Raises HDMC and HDFS Guidance
• Positive Sentiment: Improving retail demand: North American retail motorcycle sales rose 9% year over year in the third quarter, accelerating from 3% growth in the prior quarter. Global retail sales increased 5%, while dealer inventory ended the quarter 26% below the year-earlier level. Harley-Davidson Lifts 2026 Outlook
• Positive Sentiment: Positive analyst action and options activity: Citigroup raised its price target from $33 to $37 and initiated a “buy” rating. Traders also purchased 3,586 call options, roughly 225% above average volume, signaling increased bullish speculative interest.
• Positive Sentiment: Shareholder returns: Harley-Davidson returned $110 million to shareholders during the quarter, including $91 million in share repurchases and $19 million in dividends.
• Neutral Sentiment: Board changes: The company appointed two new independent directors, potentially supporting governance and strategic oversight.
• Negative Sentiment: Quarterly earnings missed expectations: Adjusted diluted EPS was $0.40, below the roughly $0.44–$0.47 analyst consensus. Revenue declined year over year, while HDMC shipments fell 8% to 33,616 units. Harley-Davidson Q3 Earnings and Revenues Miss Estimates
• Negative Sentiment: Profitability weakened sharply: Net income attributable to Harley-Davidson fell to $43 million from $377 million a year earlier, reflecting a difficult comparison and lower HDFS earnings. Wells Fargo raised its target from $20 to $25 but maintained an “underweight” rating, highlighting continued downside risk.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts have commented on the company. Citigroup lifted their target price on Harley-Davidson from $33.00 to $37.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday. UBS Group upped their price objective on Harley-Davidson from $26.00 to $28.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, September 2nd. Robert W. Baird increased their target price on Harley-Davidson from $28.00 to $30.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, July 24th. Loop Capital upgraded Harley-Davidson from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $32.00 target price on the stock in a research note on Monday, July 20th. Finally, Griffin Securities set a $33.00 price target on shares of Harley-Davidson in a report on Monday, August 17th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have assigned a Buy rating, four have issued a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $29.91.

Harley-Davidson Stock Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.43, a current ratio of 1.97 and a quick ratio of 1.70. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $27.21 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $23.96. The company has a market cap of $3.23 billion, a P/E ratio of -29.03, a PEG ratio of 8.48 and a beta of 1.30.

Harley-Davidson (NYSE:HOG) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 29th. The company reported $0.40 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.47 by ($0.07). Harley-Davidson had a negative return on equity of 4.26% and a negative net margin of 3.31%. The business had revenue of $1.08 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.07 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $3.10 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was down 19.3% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts forecast that Harley-Davidson, Inc. will post 0.66 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Harley-Davidson Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, September 29th. Investors of record on Tuesday, September 15th were paid a $0.1875 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, September 15th. This represents a $0.75 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.4%. Harley-Davidson’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 46.01%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, CEO Artie Starrs acquired 10,000 shares of Harley-Davidson stock in a transaction on Monday, August 10th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $25.89 per share, with a total value of $258,900.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the chief executive officer owned 25,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $647,250. This represents a 66.67% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CAO Gayle Littleton bought 7,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 11th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $26.38 per share, with a total value of $197,850.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the chief accounting officer owned 7,500 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $197,850. This trade represents a ∞ increase in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 4,667 shares of company stock worth $119,423. Company insiders own 0.97% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Harley-Davidson

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. State of Wyoming purchased a new stake in shares of Harley-Davidson in the second quarter worth approximately $942,000. Robinson Value Management Ltd. acquired a new stake in shares of Harley-Davidson during the first quarter worth approximately $3,215,000. Jefferies Financial Group Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Harley-Davidson during the second quarter worth approximately $992,000. Sei Investments Co. grew its position in Harley-Davidson by 100.8% during the first quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 228,009 shares of the company’s stock valued at $4,608,000 after purchasing an additional 114,441 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Caxton Associates LLP purchased a new position in Harley-Davidson during the first quarter valued at approximately $957,000. 85.10% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Harley-Davidson Company Profile

Harley-Davidson, Inc is a Milwaukee-based company that designs, manufactures and sells heavyweight motorcycles. Its product portfolio includes touring, cruiser, standard and adventure-touring motorcycles sold under the Harley-Davidson brand, as well as electric motorcycles offered through its LiveWire business.

The company also provides motorcycle parts, accessories, apparel and related merchandise. Through Harley-Davidson Financial Services, it offers financing and insurance products to motorcycle dealers and retail customers in supported markets.