Harley-Davidson, Inc. (NYSE:HOG) Short Interest Update

Harley-Davidson, Inc. (NYSE:HOG) was the recipient of a significant decrease in short interest during the month of December. As of December 31st, there was short interest totalling 9,280,000 shares, a decrease of 7.0% from the December 15th total of 9,980,000 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 1,450,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 6.4 days. Currently, 7.3% of the company’s stock are short sold.

Harley-Davidson Stock Performance

Shares of HOG traded down $0.57 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $29.08. The stock had a trading volume of 1,471,814 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,256,211. 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 has a market cap of $3.70 billion, a P/E ratio of 6.55, a PEG ratio of 0.32 and a beta of 1.48. Harley-Davidson has a 52 week low of $27.37 and a 52 week high of $44.16. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $31.53 and a 200-day moving average price of $34.19.

Harley-Davidson Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 23rd. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, December 10th were paid a $0.1725 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, December 10th. This represents a $0.69 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.37%. Harley-Davidson’s payout ratio is 15.54%.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director Maryrose Sylvester sold 4,278 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on 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 in the company, valued at $570,405.75. This represents a 19.48 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 0.87% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Harley-Davidson

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Prospera Private Wealth LLC bought a new stake in Harley-Davidson during the 3rd quarter valued at $35,000. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC purchased a new position in shares of Harley-Davidson in the third quarter valued at $38,000. Brooklyn Investment Group bought a new stake in shares of Harley-Davidson during the 3rd quarter valued at $79,000. GAMMA Investing LLC lifted its holdings in Harley-Davidson by 24.6% during the 3rd quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 2,502 shares of the company’s stock worth $96,000 after purchasing an additional 494 shares in the last quarter. Finally, DekaBank Deutsche Girozentrale boosted its stake in Harley-Davidson by 191.3% in the 2nd quarter. DekaBank Deutsche Girozentrale now owns 3,999 shares of the company’s stock worth $133,000 after purchasing an additional 2,626 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 85.10% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

HOG has been the topic of several analyst reports. UBS Group cut their price target on shares of Harley-Davidson from $40.00 to $35.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, November 7th. Baird R W lowered Harley-Davidson from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 2nd. Citigroup decreased their price target on Harley-Davidson from $39.00 to $34.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, October 25th. Bank of America cut their price objective on Harley-Davidson from $50.00 to $45.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, October 15th. Finally, Robert W. Baird decreased their target price on Harley-Davidson from $40.00 to $36.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, December 31st. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $42.00.

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.