Harley-Davidson, Inc. (NYSE:HOG) Stake Cut by Principal Financial Group Inc.

Principal Financial Group Inc. cut its position in shares of Harley-Davidson, Inc. (NYSE:HOG) by 32.6% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 274,691 shares of the company’s stock after selling 132,807 shares during the quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. owned 0.20% of Harley-Davidson worth $10,584,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in HOG. Signaturefd LLC increased its position in Harley-Davidson by 46.8% in the second quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 1,872 shares of the company’s stock worth $63,000 after buying an additional 597 shares during the period. Fifth Third Bancorp increased its position in Harley-Davidson by 19.5% in the second quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 1,970 shares of the company’s stock worth $66,000 after buying an additional 322 shares during the period. GAMMA Investing LLC increased its position in Harley-Davidson by 19.0% in the second quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 2,008 shares of the company’s stock worth $67,000 after buying an additional 320 shares during the period. DekaBank Deutsche Girozentrale increased its position in Harley-Davidson by 191.3% in the second quarter. DekaBank Deutsche Girozentrale now owns 3,999 shares of the company’s stock worth $133,000 after buying an additional 2,626 shares during the period. Finally, Neo Ivy Capital Management acquired a new stake in Harley-Davidson in the second quarter worth $139,000. 85.10% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Harley-Davidson Trading Up 0.8 %

Shares of HOG stock opened at $32.90 on Monday. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $35.09 and a 200 day simple moving average of $35.17. Harley-Davidson, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $29.34 and a fifty-two week high of $44.16. The stock has a market capitalization of $4.19 billion, a P/E ratio of 7.41, a P/E/G ratio of 0.44 and a beta of 1.46. The company has a quick ratio of 1.25, a current ratio of 1.41 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.38.

Harley-Davidson declared that its board has authorized a share buyback plan on Thursday, July 25th that authorizes the company to repurchase $1.00 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the company to buy up to 19.4% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are often a sign that the company’s leadership believes its stock is undervalued.

Harley-Davidson Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, September 27th. Investors of record on Monday, September 16th were paid a dividend of $0.1725 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, September 16th. This represents a $0.69 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.10%. Harley-Davidson’s dividend payout ratio is currently 15.54%.

Insider Activity at Harley-Davidson

In related news, Director Maryrose Sylvester sold 4,278 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, October 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $32.25, for a total value of $137,965.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now 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 document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.87% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts have recently commented on HOG shares. Baird R W lowered Harley-Davidson from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 2nd. Bank of America lowered their price target on Harley-Davidson from $50.00 to $45.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, October 15th. Robert W. Baird lowered Harley-Davidson from an “outperform” rating to a “neutral” rating and lowered their price target for the company from $44.00 to $40.00 in a report on Wednesday, October 2nd. StockNews.com lowered Harley-Davidson from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Friday, November 8th. Finally, Citigroup lowered their price target on Harley-Davidson from $39.00 to $34.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, October 25th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have issued a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $42.57.

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.