Harley Plans Incentives

Look for Harley-Davidson soon to offer incentives to dealers and consumers in the southeast and Atlantic regions of the U.S. The move, aimed at eight states, is in response to recent weather problems that hurt sales. The states affected will be Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, North and South Carolina, Virginia and Pennsylvania, which account for about 21% of Harley’s annual U.S. sales.
Tim Conder, analyst with AG Edwards, sees this as a “prudent short-term response to an extraordinary short-term issue.” He doesn’t see the program being expanded to other states.
On Oct. 14, Conder said he was maintaining his BUY rating on Harley; he sees the common stock price moving to $71 over the next 12-18 months. Harley closed Oct. 14 at 58.19.