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

Harley-Davidson, Inc. (NYSE:HOG) was the target of a large drop in short interest in December. As of December 31st, there was short interest totalling 9,280,000 shares, a drop of 7.0% from the December 15th total of 9,980,000 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 1,450,000 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 6.4 days. Currently, 7.3% of the shares of the stock are short sold.

Harley-Davidson Trading Down 1.9 %

Shares of Harley-Davidson stock traded down $0.57 on Monday, reaching $29.08. 1,471,814 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,256,211. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $31.53 and its two-hundred day moving average is $34.20. The company has a market capitalization of $3.70 billion, a P/E ratio of 6.55, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.32 and a beta of 1.48. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.38, a quick ratio of 1.25 and a current ratio of 1.41. Harley-Davidson has a 52 week low of $27.37 and a 52 week high of $44.16.

Harley-Davidson Dividend Announcement

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

Insider Buying and Selling

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

Institutional Trading of Harley-Davidson

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Mork Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Harley-Davidson during the third quarter valued at approximately $1,926,000. Barclays PLC increased its stake in Harley-Davidson by 135.7% during the 3rd quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 282,932 shares of the company’s stock valued at $10,900,000 after purchasing an additional 162,899 shares in the last quarter. Quantinno Capital Management LP raised its holdings in Harley-Davidson by 151.3% during the third quarter. Quantinno Capital Management LP now owns 50,475 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,945,000 after buying an additional 30,388 shares during the last quarter. Quantbot Technologies LP lifted its stake in shares of Harley-Davidson by 190.4% in the third quarter. Quantbot Technologies LP now owns 172,258 shares of the company’s stock valued at $6,637,000 after buying an additional 112,948 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Franklin Resources Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Harley-Davidson during the third quarter valued at about $2,725,000. 85.10% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on HOG shares. Bank of America decreased their price target on shares of Harley-Davidson from $50.00 to $45.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, October 15th. UBS Group reduced their price target on Harley-Davidson from $40.00 to $35.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, November 7th. 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 note on Friday, October 25th. StockNews.com raised Harley-Davidson from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, November 27th. Finally, Baird R W downgraded shares of Harley-Davidson from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 2nd. Five analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $42.00.

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.