Harley-Davidson, Inc., publicly traded under the symbol HOG, is fundamentally a manufacturer and seller of motorcycles. The company's operations are divided into ...
Harley-Davidson, Inc. operates through two primary segments: Motorcycle Products and Related Offerings, and Financial Services. The motorcycle segment designs and manufactures cruiser, touring, standard, sportbike, and dual models, distributing them via independent dealers and e-commerce across the US, Canada, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia-Pacific. The financial ...Harley-Davidson, Inc. operates through two primary segments: Motorcycle Products and Related Offerings, and Financial Services. The motorcycle segment designs and manufactures cruiser, touring, standard, sportbike, and dual models, distributing them via independent dealers and e-commerce across the US, Canada, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia-Pacific. The financial services segment provides wholesale floorplan financing to dealers, retail installment loans for new and pre-owned bikes, and point-of-sale protection products like insurance and extended service contracts. The company also licenses co-branded credit cards. Founded by William S. Harley and the Davidson brothers (Arthur, Walter, and William A.), the company has become a cultural icon representing freedom and the open road. As of the most recent data, Harley-Davidson has a market cap of ~$2.74 billion, with a price-to-earnings ratio of about 15.7. The company has faced challenges in recent years, including declining sales in some markets and a competitive landscape, but is implementing a strategy to revitalize its brand, focusing on core motorcycle enthusiasts and expanding into electric vehicles, as seen in its LiveWire brand. The company employs approximately 5,500 full-time employees and is led by CEO Artie Starrs, who took office in October 2025. Key financial metrics indicate a gross profit margin of 23.9%, a net profit margin of 4.9%, and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.744. The company's dividend yield is 2.8%, with a payout ratio of 41%. Despite a challenging environment, Harley-Davidson continues to leverage its heritage and brand loyalty to navigate the evolving motorcycle industry, aiming to maintain its position as a leader in the heavyweight segment.
Operator: Good afternoon, and welcome to the Harley-Davidson 2026 Second Quarter Investor and Analyst Conference Call. Please be advised that today's conference is being recorded. I would now like to hand the conference over to Shawn Collins. Thank you. Please go ahead.
Shawn Collins: Thank you. Good morning. This is Shawn Collins, the Director of Investor Relations at Harley-Davidson. You can access the slides supporting today's call on the Internet at the Harley-Davidson Investor Relations website. As you might expect, our comments will include forward-looking statements that are subject to risks that could cause actual results to be materially different. Those risks include, among others, matters we have noted in today's earnings release and in our latest filings with the SEC. Joining me for this morning's call are Harley-Davidson Chief Executive Officer, Artie Starrs; and Chief Financial and Commercial Officer, Jonathan Root. With that, let me turn it over to Harley-Davidson CEO, Artie Starrs.
Arthur Starrs: Thank you, Shawn. Good morning, everyone, and thank you for joining us today for our second quarter 2026 results. Before I get into the quarter, I want to start by thanking our Harley-Davidson employees and our dealers around the world. The progress we are beginning to see is the direct result of your focus, your urgency and your commitment to this brand. I also want to thank our riders and the broader motorcycle community for continuing to support Harley-Davidson and for holding us to the highest standard this company has earned over more than 120 years. Last quarter, we introduced our new strategic plan Back to the Bricks. We said that 2026 would be a transition year as we reset the business, rebuild dealer confidence, improve execution and position Harley-Davidson for stronger, more durable performance over time. We also said that the work would not happen overnight, but that we would move with urgency and discipline. In the second quarter, we are pleased with the early progress we made against that plan. As the Motor Company, our results reflect the business that we believe is beginning to stabilize and a team that is executing with greater focus. Domestic retail remains strong with North America retail up 3%, the third consecutive year-over-year quarter of retail growth in North America. That continued strength is important. It shows that when we have the right motorcycles, the right dealer engagement and the right marketing support in the market, riders respond. We are pleased with the overall domestic market share year-to-date and continued strength in Touring in Q2. We also made continued progress on one of the most important priorities when I joined the company, dealer inventory health. At the end of the quarter, dealer inventory position was meaningfully improved and over 85% of dealer inventory was model year 2026 product. That is the healthiest inventory position global dealers have had in years, an improvement …