Harley-Davidson (HOG) shot up recently on takeover rumors, but in my opinion, they're just that -- rumors.

Who needs a high-end motorcycle during the Great Recession? Or its aftermath? And who needs the stock of a company with more than $4 billion in long-term debt, huge unpaid pension obligations, lousy cash flow to service its debt, and that is still in search of a partner to take customer loans off its hands.

Continue reading Deadbeat Stock #1: Harley-Davidson (HOG)

Deadbeat Stock #1: Harley-Davidson (HOG) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 20 Mar 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Spring is finally here, which means it's time to break out the broom and dustpan for some spring cleaning.

But your home isn't the only thing that requires constant maintenance -- your portfolio does too.

And what better time than spring to get a fresh start by cleaning out the stocks that are sitting around collecting dust rather than making you money?

Continue reading Six Deadbeat Stocks to Clean Out of Your Portfolio

Six Deadbeat Stocks to Clean Out of Your Portfolio originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 20 Mar 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Closing Bell: From FOMC to Greece to Rumors (GE, SQNM, BTIM, HOG, NBG, CBS)

Closing Bell: From FOMC to Greece to Rumors (GE, SQNM, BTIM, HOG, NBG, CBS) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 16 Mar 2010 16:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Harley Davidson Accelerates on Takeover Talk

Harley Davidson Accelerates on Takeover Talk originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 16 Mar 2010 15:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

How's this for a kick in the pants: Flying in the face of it's first quarterly loss in 16 years, a seriously questionable compensation package has just been awarded to the new, short-time CEO of Harley-Davidson Inc. (HOG).

Keith E. Wandell, the new Harley-Davidson CEO, and former COO of Johnson Controls Inc. (JCI), has been awarded a compensation package totaling approximately $6.4 million for his participation in Harley-Davidson operations from May 2009 through the end of that year. When given the company's downward slide through 2009, and in consideration of tough times ahead for those who survive on high-end discretionary spending, might there be cause to wonder if Mr. Wandell's compensation package is just a tad excessive?

Continue reading CEO Takes Harley-Davidson for a Ride

CEO Takes Harley-Davidson for a Ride originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 14 Mar 2010 13:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

This is a cornerstone of the Fed, a true shibboleth (Google that one). But one of the first set of bonds the Fed bought under the TALF program were bonds backed by motorcycle loans made by Harley-Davidson (HOG) to its customers.

The Fed program was designed to provide loans and capital to businesses that were shut out of frozen credit markets, which is a good thing. But loans to Harley made to boost the sale of motorcycles to people who could not get loans elsewhere?

Continue reading Lie #8: The Fed Only Buys AAA-Rated Bonds and Securities

Lie #8: The Fed Only Buys AAA-Rated Bonds and Securities originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 27 Dec 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst Upgrades

• JPMorgan upgraded Mohawk (MHK) to overweight from neutral. The firm finds shares attractive following their recent underperformance and has a positive outlook for the building products space in 2010. JPMorgan has a $53.50 price target on the stock.
• Stephens upgraded Alexander & Baldwin (ALEX) to overweight from equal weight to reflect improving volume trends and the upcoming move of the company's Transport division from Japan to Guam, which it believes will serve as a positive catalyst. Stephens raised its target price on shares to $41 from $26.
• Deutsche Bank upgraded Unum Group (UNM) to buy from hold as it believes an acceleration of growth and potential buybacks could serve as positive catalysts. The firm raised its target on shares to $26 from $25.
• News Corp. (NWS) was raised to neutral from sell at Pali Capital.
• CA Inc. (CA) was upgraded to buy from hold at Jefferies.
• Pactiv (PTV) was upgraded to buy from hold at KeyBanc.

Continue reading Analyst Upgrades, Downgrades and Initiations: ADP, BAC, HOG, MHK, NWS, T, UNM ...

Analyst Upgrades, Downgrades and Initiations: ADP, BAC, HOG, MHK, NWS, T, UNM ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 17 Dec 2009 11:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Here are some highlights from last week's earnings coverage from BloggingStocks:

• Abbott Laboratories (NYSE: ABT) higher Q3 earnings topped expectations but revenue was in line.
• Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (NYSE: AMD) posted better-than-expected Q3 results, but shares sold off.
• Allegheny Technologies Inc. (NYSE: ATI) was downgraded on concerns about its Q4 guidance.
• Bank of America Corp. (NYSE: BAC) shares fell after it posted a deeper-than-expected quarterly loss.
• Citigroup Inc. (NYSE: C) fell victim to profit taking despite reporting better-than-expected earnings.
• CSX Corp. (NYSE: CSX) better-than-expected Q3 earnings sent shares higher, despite a decline in revenue.

Continue reading Earnings highlights: C, GE, GOOG, HOG, INTC, IBM, JNJ, JPM, MAT, NOK ...

Earnings highlights: C, GE, GOOG, HOG, INTC, IBM, JNJ, JPM, MAT, NOK ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 17 Oct 2009 14:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Harley-Davidson rumbles on amid painful restructuring

Harley-Davidson rumbles on amid painful restructuring originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 16 Oct 2009 16:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst upgrades:

• Keefe Bruyette upgraded Intercontinental Exchange (NYSE: ICE) to Outperform from Market Perform on expectations that derivatives trading will increase in the coming quarters.
• NutriSystem (NASDAQ: NTRI) was upgraded to Buy from Neutral by Janney Montgomery, which believes that the company's earnings have hit bottom, while the company could report better-than-expected Q1 results.
• Harley-Davidson (NYSE: HOG) was upgraded to Outperform from Sector Perform at RBC Capital. The firm thinks the company is an early-cycle story that has significant upside potential.
• UBS upgraded Walgreen (NYSE: WAG) to Buy from Neutral citing cost cutting efforts and slowing store growth.
• Google (NASDAQ: GOOG) was upgraded to Buy from Hold at Benchmark Co.
• Safeway (NYSE: SWY) was upgraded to Buy from Hold by BB&T.
• Needham upgraded Targacept (NASDAQ: TRGT) to Buy from Hold.
• Sierra Wireless (NASDAQ: SWIR) was raised to Buy from Hold at Jesup & Lamont.

Continue reading Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: GOOG, HOG, NOK, SWY, WAG, WSM ...

Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: GOOG, HOG, NOK, SWY, WAG, WSM ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 16 Oct 2009 11:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Harley-Davidson Inc. (NYSE: HOG), cultural icon and a leader in sales of high-end motorcycles, is scheduled to discuss its third quarter 2009 financial results in a conference call Thursday at 9:00 AM ET, hosted by CEO Keith Wandell and CFO John Olin. You can catch the live webcast of the call on the company's website.

During three months that ended in September, Harley-Davidson celebrated the 40th anniversary of Easy Rider, rolled out new models for 2010, and appointed a new CFO. Analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters expect this Milwaukee-based, dividend-paying company to report that earnings fell 70.4% from a year ago to $0.21 per share, but that's up 61.9% from the second quarter. Sales for the third quarter are expected to be 22.6% lower than a year ago to $1.1 billion.

Continue reading Earnings preview: Has Harley-Davidson turned around?

Earnings preview: Has Harley-Davidson turned around? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 14 Oct 2009 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

United States Oil Fund (NYSE: USO) closed $36.68. WTI Crude futures are recently down .45% to $71.40 according to Bloomberg. USO unit net asset value reflects the performance of the spot price of West Texas intermediate light crude. USO over all option implied volatility is at 44; verses its 26-week average of 46, according to Track Data, suggesting non-directional price movement.

Harley-Davidson (NYSE: HOG) closed at $23.28. HOG is scheduled to report Q3 EPS on October 15. HOG October option implied volatility is at 76, November is at 55; verses its 26-week average of 60, according to Track Data, suggesting decreasing price movement after EPS.

Option Update is provided by Stock Specialist Paul Foster of theflyonthewall.com.

Options Update: United States Oil Fund volatility flat; oil above $70 originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 09 Oct 2009 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst upgrades:

• Bernstein upgraded Lincoln National (NYSE: LNC) to Outperform from Market Perform based on relative valuation and expectations the company will repay TARP without a capital raise. The firm raised its target to $34 from $26.
• Thomas Weisel upgraded Ticketmaster (NASDAQ: TKTM) to Overweight from Market Weight and raised its target to $12 from $8 citing dynamic ticket pricing and the potential merger with Live Nation (NYSE: LYV).
• Citigroup upgraded Harley-Davidson (NYSE: HOG) to Hold from Sell after channel checks indicated retail sales have improved since Q2. The firm raised its target on shares to $26 from $14.
• McDermott (NYSE: MDR) was upgraded to Outperform from Neutral at Credit Suisse.
• Ericsson (NASDAQ: ERIC) was upgraded to Hold from Sell at Deutsche Bank.
• General Electric (NYSE: GE) was upgraded to Overweight from Neutral at JPMorgan.

Continue reading Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: AIG, DFS, ERIC, GE, HOG, SYMC ...

Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: AIG, DFS, ERIC, GE, HOG, SYMC ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 08 Sep 2009 11:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Closing Bell: Bulls start getting drunk (MO, AIG, BA, C, HOG, IMMU)

Closing Bell: Bulls start getting drunk (MO, AIG, BA, C, HOG, IMMU) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 27 Aug 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Closing Bell: A 1,000 S&P scares the bears (AMZN, XOM, EXPE, GE, HOG, SYMC)

Closing Bell: A 1,000 S&P scares the bears (AMZN, XOM, EXPE, GE, HOG, SYMC) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 30 Jul 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Harley-Davidson has certainly recovered from its 52-week low made back in March of this year. The stock bounced back from $7.99 to a price of $16.55 as of this writing.

Continue reading Harley-Davidson not riding too much higher according to analyst

Harley-Davidson not riding too much higher according to analyst originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 13 Jul 2009 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

• Kiplinger's suggests: Diageo (NYSE: DEO), the seller of such brands as Johnnie Walker, Smirnoff, Guinness and José Cuervo. Diageo has held up better than most during the recession -- thanks to a balanced portfolio of products, with higher exposure to mid-price, mainstream brands and less exposure to ultra-premium brands. The shares look reasonably priced. At $56.01, Diageo trades at 15 times estimated June 2009 earnings of $3.82 a share. The stock yields 2.8%.

• Another to consider: Molson Coors (NYSE: TAP), the seller of such brands as Coors, Blue Moon, Pilsner and Rickard's. Beer, probably even more so than hard liquor is supposed to hold better during a recession given the cheaper price point. The company's recent quarterly profits more than doubled. The shares trade at 13 times forward earnings of $3.33 and yield 2.2%.

Continue reading Five stocks for Father's Day from Kiplinger's ... and five more

Five stocks for Father's Day from Kiplinger's ... and five more originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 19 Jun 2009 16:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Analyst upgrades:

• Goldman upgraded SanDisk (NASDAQ: SNDK) to Buy from Neutral and raised their target to $22 from $16 citing the renegotiated royalty agreement with Samsung.
• Goldman also upgraded Starwood Hotels (NYSE: HOT) to Buy from Sell and raised their target to $27 from $11 citing strong operating leverage as RevPAR recovers.
• KeyBanc upgraded Werner Enterprises (NASDAQ: WERN) to Hold from Underweight citing a recent improvement in freight demand.
• J.C. Penney (NYSE: JCP) was upgraded to buy from Underperform at Banc of America/Merrill.
• Savvis (NASDAQ: SVVS) was raised to Outperform from Perform at Oppenheimer.
• Sanofi-Aventis (NYSE: SNY) was upgraded at Citigroup to Buy from Hold.

Continue reading Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: SNDK, HOT, CAT, HOG, ANF, ERTS ...

Analyst upgrades, downgrades and initiations: SNDK, HOT, CAT, HOG, ANF, ERTS ... originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 28 May 2009 11:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Here are some highlights from this past week's earnings coverage from BloggingStocks:

• Abbott Laboratories (NYSE: ABT) Q1 profit edged past expectations despite lower sales of Humira.
• AMR Corp. (NYSE: AMR) posted a smaller-than-expected Q1 loss, sending shares sharply higher.
• Baxter International Inc. (NYSE: BAX) reported better-than-expected Q1 earnings, sending share higher.
• BP (NYSE: BP) and other oil companies were downgraded due to higher environmental costs.
• Charles Schwab Corp. (NASDAQ: SCHW) Q1 earnings declined but still topped analysts' expectations.
• Chevron Corp. (NYSE: CVX) said Q1 earnings would be lower due to a weaker dollar and lower oil prices.

Continue reading Earnings highlights: Goldman Sachs, Google, Citigroup, GE, Intel, Nokia and more

Earnings highlights: Goldman Sachs, Google, Citigroup, GE, Intel, Nokia and more originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 18 Apr 2009 12:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The venerable Harley-Davidson (NYSE:HOG) sputtered through another dismal quarter as reported today. Even Warren Buffett's recent vote of confidence in the form of purchasing $300 million of HOG debt wasn't enough to pretty up a year/year decline in worldwide sales of 12%, and sales this quarter last year were well below the previous year. The company did ship 3.9% more bikes to dealers than in 2008, when dealers were sitting on large stocks of unsold units, but it anticipates shipping 10-13% fewer bikes overall in 2009 than 2008.

Domestic sales dropped 9.7%. Diluted earning reported were $.50, below analyst expectations and down from $.79 Q1 of 2008. Revenue for the quarter was $1.01 billion, down only $2.7 million from same quarter 2008. General merchandise, usually a steady cash-generator for the company, also fell by 10.5% from a year ago.

Continue reading Harley-Davidson earnings report

Harley-Davidson earnings report originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 16 Apr 2009 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.