Traders Buy Large Volume of Harley-Davidson Put Options (NYSE:HOG)

Harley-Davidson, Inc. (NYSE:HOG) was the target of some unusual options trading on Tuesday. Stock investors bought 6,794 put options on the company. This is an increase of approximately 173% compared to the average volume of 2,490 put options.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Harley-Davidson

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Donald Smith & CO. Inc. grew its stake in Harley-Davidson by 61.8% in the second quarter. Donald Smith & CO. Inc. now owns 5,517,795 shares of the company’s stock valued at $130,220,000 after acquiring an additional 2,108,099 shares during the period. SG Americas Securities LLC raised its holdings in shares of Harley-Davidson by 1,277.0% in the fourth 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 during the last quarter. Norges Bank bought a new stake in Harley-Davidson during the 2nd quarter worth about $21,607,000. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its holdings in Harley-Davidson by 7.3% during the third quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 12,958,561 shares of the company’s stock worth $361,544,000 after acquiring an additional 886,998 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Voloridge Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Harley-Davidson in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $21,761,000. 85.10% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Harley-Davidson Price Performance

Shares of Harley-Davidson stock traded down $0.06 during trading on Wednesday, hitting $21.05. 2,550,479 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,858,009. Harley-Davidson has a twelve month low of $20.38 and a twelve month high of $31.25. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.88, a current ratio of 2.51 and a quick ratio of 2.36. The company has a market cap of $2.49 billion, a PE ratio of 5.11, a PEG ratio of 0.52 and a beta of 1.37. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $22.62 and its 200 day moving average price is $25.37.

Harley-Davidson (NYSE:HOG) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, November 4th. The company reported $3.10 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.38 by $1.72. Harley-Davidson had a return on equity of 15.19% and a net margin of 11.37%.The firm had revenue of $1.34 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.01 billion. Analysts forecast that Harley-Davidson will post 3.44 earnings per share for the current year.

Harley-Davidson Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 22nd. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, December 9th were given a $0.18 dividend. This represents a $0.72 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.4%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, December 9th. Harley-Davidson’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 17.48%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages have recently weighed in on HOG. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Harley-Davidson from a “sell (d+)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. UBS Group decreased their price target on shares of Harley-Davidson from $28.00 to $27.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, November 13th. Citigroup lowered their price target on Harley-Davidson from $28.00 to $23.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday. Loop Capital began coverage on Harley-Davidson in a research note on Tuesday, November 25th. They set a “hold” rating and a $21.00 target price for the company. Finally, DA Davidson lowered their target price on Harley-Davidson from $34.00 to $30.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, November 10th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $27.38.

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.