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

Harley-Davidson, Inc. (NYSE:HOG) saw a large decrease in short interest in 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. Approximately 7.3% of the company’s shares are short sold. Based on an average daily volume of 1,450,000 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 6.4 days.

Harley-Davidson Stock Performance

HOG traded down $0.57 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $29.08. 1,471,814 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,256,211. The company’s 50-day moving average is $31.53 and its 200 day moving average is $34.19. The company has a quick ratio of 1.25, a current ratio of 1.41 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.38. The firm has a market capitalization of $3.70 billion, a PE ratio of 6.55, a price-to-earnings-growth 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.

Harley-Davidson Announces Dividend

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

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages recently commented on HOG. UBS Group dropped their price target on Harley-Davidson from $40.00 to $35.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, November 7th. Bank of America dropped their target price on shares of Harley-Davidson from $50.00 to $45.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, October 15th. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Harley-Davidson from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 27th. Baird R W lowered shares of Harley-Davidson from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 2nd. Finally, Citigroup reduced their target price on Harley-Davidson from $39.00 to $34.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, October 25th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $42.00.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Maryrose Sylvester sold 4,278 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, October 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $32.25, for a total transaction of $137,965.50. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 17,687 shares in the company, valued at $570,405.75. This trade represents a 19.48 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. 0.87% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Harley-Davidson

Several institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in HOG. Prospera Private Wealth LLC purchased a new position in Harley-Davidson during the third quarter valued at $35,000. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC purchased a new position in shares of Harley-Davidson during the 3rd quarter valued at about $38,000. Brooklyn Investment Group bought a new position in shares of Harley-Davidson during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $79,000. GAMMA Investing LLC increased its holdings in Harley-Davidson by 24.6% in the 3rd quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 2,502 shares of the company’s stock worth $96,000 after acquiring an additional 494 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Covestor Ltd raised its stake in Harley-Davidson by 14.7% during the 3rd quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 3,505 shares of the company’s stock worth $135,000 after acquiring an additional 448 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 85.10% of the company’s stock.

Harley-Davidson Company Profile

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.