HOG Screeches to a Halt Amid Job Cuts

Harley-Davidson Inc (NYSE:HOG) announced last night that it would cut 140 of its jobs in the U.S., according to a representative for the company. The job cuts will affect 90 workers at the motorcycle manufacturer's New York plant in Pennsylvania and 50 at its Tomahawk facility, located in Wisconsin. HOG is down 0.7% at $24.25 in response to the news. 

Since bottoming out in March, the equity has been chopping higher, with support at the 30-day moving average containing most of its pullbacks. This most recent leg up, however, was captured by HOG's descending 110-day moving average, which guided the shares back down the chart, keeping Harley-Davidson stock at a 34.4% year-to-date deficit, coming into today. 

The majority of analysts are approaching HOG with caution. Of the 12 in coverage, nine call it a "hold," compared to only two saying "buy" or better. Meanwhile, the consensus 12-month price target of $24.11is just a 1.2% discount to last night's close. 

Options players are singing a different tune, though. HOG sports a 10-day call/put volume ratio of 2.84 at the International Securities Exchange (ISE), Cboe Options Exchange (CBOE), and NASDAQ OMX PHLX (PHLX). This ratio sits higher than 92% of readings from the last year, suggesting a much healthier appetite for long calls than what is typically seen.