The company reported earnings and revenue above analyst expectations
The shares of Harley-Davidson Inc (NYSE:HOG) are soaring this morning after the motorcycle giant's stellar quarterly report. The company announced adjusted third-quarter earnings of 78 cents per share on revenue of $964.03 million, much higher than the anticipated 21 cents per share and $843.75 million. The success of the quarter can be attributed to The Rewire, the new foundational plan for the business that ends in 2021, when the five-year plan The Hardwire will begin.
HOG is up 26.8% at $36.52 at last check, on track for its best single-session rise since March 24. Today's pop has Harley-Davidson stock gapping past pressure at the $30 region to levels not seen since late February. Now, the stock is down around 2% year-to-date.
On the analyst front, there is ample room for upgrades/price-target hikes. Eight of the 15 analysts in coverage sport a tepid "hold" rating on HOG, while the 12-month consensus price target of $31.73 is an 11.3% discount to current levels.
Meanwhile, there is plenty of short interest that could unwind and push the stock higher as well. The 20.41 million shares sold short account for 13.4% of the stock's available float. In other words, it would take over seven days to buy back these bearish bets at HOG's average pace of trading.
The options pits are buzzing today. In just the first two hours of trading, 30,000 calls have changed hands, 36 times the average intraday amount and triple the number of puts traded. The most popular is the weekly 10/30 35-strike call, where new positions are being opened. Buyers of these calls are banking on HOG's gains to hold through the end of the week, when the contracts expire.