Analysts Set Harley-Davidson, Inc. (NYSE:HOG) PT at $42.57

Shares of Harley-Davidson, Inc. (NYSE:HOG) have earned an average rating of “Moderate Buy” from the eight ratings firms that are covering the firm, MarketBeat reports. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and four have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average 12 month target price among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $42.57.

Several research firms recently commented on HOG. Bank of America cut their price target on Harley-Davidson from $50.00 to $45.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, October 15th. StockNews.com lowered Harley-Davidson from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Friday, November 8th. Citigroup decreased their price target on shares of Harley-Davidson from $39.00 to $34.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, October 25th. Robert W. Baird cut shares of Harley-Davidson from an “outperform” rating to a “neutral” rating and cut their price target for the company from $44.00 to $40.00 in a report on Wednesday, October 2nd. Finally, UBS Group dropped their target price on shares of Harley-Davidson from $40.00 to $35.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, November 7th.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Maryrose Sylvester sold 4,278 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, October 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $32.25, for a total value of $137,965.50. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 17,687 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $570,405.75. This represents a 19.48 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.87% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Harley-Davidson

A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Prospera Private Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in Harley-Davidson in the third quarter worth approximately $35,000. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Harley-Davidson in the third quarter valued at $38,000. Signaturefd LLC boosted its stake in Harley-Davidson by 46.8% during the second quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 1,872 shares of the company’s stock valued at $63,000 after buying an additional 597 shares in the last quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp grew its holdings in Harley-Davidson by 19.5% during the second quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 1,970 shares of the company’s stock worth $66,000 after acquiring an additional 322 shares during the period. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC grew its holdings in Harley-Davidson by 19.0% during the second quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 2,008 shares of the company’s stock worth $67,000 after acquiring an additional 320 shares during the period. 85.10% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Harley-Davidson Stock Performance

Harley-Davidson stock opened at $32.65 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.38, a current ratio of 1.41 and a quick ratio of 1.25. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $35.16 and its 200 day moving average price is $35.17. The company has a market capitalization of $4.16 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 7.35, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.43 and a beta of 1.46. Harley-Davidson has a 12-month low of $28.90 and a 12-month high of $44.16.

Harley-Davidson declared that its Board of Directors has initiated a stock buyback program on Thursday, July 25th that allows the company to buyback $1.00 billion in shares. This buyback authorization allows the company to repurchase up to 19.4% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are typically an indication that the company’s management believes its stock is undervalued.

Harley-Davidson Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, September 27th. Shareholders of record on Monday, September 16th were paid a $0.1725 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, September 16th. This represents a $0.69 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.11%. Harley-Davidson’s payout ratio is currently 15.54%.

About Harley-Davidson

Harley-Davidson, Inc manufactures and sells motorcycles in the United States and internationally. The company operates in three segments: Harley-Davidson Motor Company, LiveWire, and Harley-Davidson Financial Services. The Harley-Davidson Motor Company segment designs, manufactures, and sells motorcycles, including cruiser, trike, touring, standard, sportbike, adventure, and dual sport, as well as motorcycle parts, accessories, and apparel, as well as licenses its trademarks and related services.