Traders Purchase Large Volume of Harley-Davidson Call Options (NYSE:HOG)

Harley-Davidson, Inc. (NYSE:HOG) saw unusually large options trading activity on Friday. Traders bought 3,586 call options on the company. This is an increase of approximately 225% compared to the average volume of 1,103 call options.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

HOG has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Loop Capital upgraded Harley-Davidson from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $32.00 target price for the company in a research report on Monday, July 20th. Morgan Stanley reiterated an “underweight” rating and issued a $19.00 price objective on shares of Harley-Davidson in a report on Monday. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on shares of Harley-Davidson from $20.00 to $25.00 and gave the company an “underweight” rating in a research report on Friday. DA Davidson boosted their price target on Harley-Davidson from $30.00 to $33.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, August 17th. Finally, Griffin Securities set a $33.00 price objective on shares of Harley-Davidson in a research report on Monday, August 17th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have assigned a Buy rating, four have given a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $29.91.

Insider Activity

In related news, CAO Gayle Littleton purchased 7,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 11th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $26.38 per share, with a total value of $197,850.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the chief accounting officer directly owned 7,500 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $197,850. The trade was a ∞ increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, CEO Artie Starrs bought 10,000 shares of Harley-Davidson stock in a transaction on Monday, August 10th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $25.89 per share, with a total value of $258,900.00. Following the acquisition, the chief executive officer directly owned 25,000 shares in the company, valued at approximately $647,250. This represents a 66.67% increase in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. Insiders have sold 4,667 shares of company stock valued at $119,423 in the last 90 days. Insiders own 0.97% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Harley-Davidson

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. State of Wyoming purchased a new position in Harley-Davidson in the second quarter worth $942,000. Robinson Value Management Ltd. purchased a new stake in shares of Harley-Davidson during the first quarter valued at $3,215,000. Jefferies Financial Group Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Harley-Davidson in the 2nd quarter valued at $992,000. Sei Investments Co. increased its position in shares of Harley-Davidson by 100.8% in the 1st quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 228,009 shares of the company’s stock valued at $4,608,000 after acquiring an additional 114,441 shares during the period. Finally, Caxton Associates LLP acquired a new position in shares of Harley-Davidson in the 1st quarter valued at $957,000. Institutional investors own 85.10% of the company’s stock.

Harley-Davidson Trading Up 2.4%

NYSE HOG traded up $0.73 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $31.06. 3,252,575 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,849,517. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $27.14 and a 200 day moving average price of $23.91. Harley-Davidson has a 52 week low of $17.09 and a 52 week high of $31.23. The stock has a market cap of $3.23 billion, a PE ratio of 19.06, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 8.26 and a beta of 1.30. The company has a quick ratio of 1.70, a current ratio of 1.90 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.36.

Harley-Davidson (NYSE:HOG) last issued its quarterly earnings results 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 return on equity of 6.28% and a net margin of 4.78%. The company had revenue of $1.08 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.07 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $3.10 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was down 19.3% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts forecast that Harley-Davidson will post 0.66 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Harley-Davidson Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, September 29th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, September 15th were given a dividend of $0.1875 per share. 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 payout ratio is 46.01%.

Trending Headlines about 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.

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.