Harley-Davidson (NYSE:HOG) Reaches New 12-Month Low – Should You Sell?

Shares of Harley-Davidson, Inc. (NYSE:HOG) hit a new 52-week low on Monday . The stock traded as low as $19.11 and last traded at $19.08, with a volume of 988457 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $20.11.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages have recently issued reports on HOG. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Harley-Davidson in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. Robert W. Baird set a $22.00 price target on shares of Harley-Davidson in a report on Wednesday, February 11th. DA Davidson lowered their price objective on shares of Harley-Davidson from $30.00 to $25.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, February 12th. Argus raised Harley-Davidson to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 17th. Finally, Zacks Research downgraded Harley-Davidson from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a report on Thursday, February 12th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have issued a Buy rating, five have assigned a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Harley-Davidson presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $23.50.

Harley-Davidson Stock Down 3.8%

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.52, a quick ratio of 1.83 and a current ratio of 2.10. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $20.47 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $24.45. The stock has a market capitalization of $2.21 billion, a PE ratio of 7.17, a P/E/G ratio of 0.76 and a beta of 1.39.

Harley-Davidson (NYSE:HOG) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 10th. The company reported ($2.44) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.92) by ($1.52). Harley-Davidson had a net margin of 8.03% and a return on equity of 10.27%. The business had revenue of $496.16 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $482.21 million. During the same period last year, the business earned ($0.93) earnings per share. The company’s revenue was down 9.8% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, analysts expect that Harley-Davidson, Inc. will post 3.44 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Harley-Davidson Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 17th. Investors of record on Monday, March 2nd will be paid a $0.1875 dividend. This represents a $0.75 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.0%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 2nd. This is an increase from Harley-Davidson’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.18. Harley-Davidson’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 27.59%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Harley-Davidson

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in HOG. Donald Smith & CO. Inc. grew its stake in shares of Harley-Davidson by 61.8% in the second quarter. Donald Smith & CO. Inc. now owns 5,517,795 shares of the company’s stock worth $130,220,000 after acquiring an additional 2,108,099 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in Harley-Davidson during the 4th quarter valued at about $25,766,000. SG Americas Securities LLC increased its stake in Harley-Davidson by 1,277.0% during the 4th quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 1,094,119 shares of the company’s stock valued at $22,418,000 after purchasing an additional 1,014,660 shares in the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its holdings in Harley-Davidson by 7.3% in the third quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 12,958,561 shares of the company’s stock worth $361,544,000 after buying an additional 886,998 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Voloridge Investment Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Harley-Davidson in the third quarter worth approximately $21,761,000. 85.10% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Harley-Davidson Company Profile

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.