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Harley-Davidson Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year Results for 2007

    MILWAUKEE, Jan. 25 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Harley-Davidson, Inc.
(NYSE: HOG) today announced its results for the fourth quarter and the year
ended December 31, 2007. Revenue for the quarter was $1.39 billion compared
to $1.50 billion in the year-ago quarter, a 7.7 percent decline. Net income
for the quarter was $186.1 million compared to $252.4 million, down 26.3
percent versus the fourth quarter of 2006. Fourth quarter diluted earnings
per share were $0.78, a 19.6 percent decrease compared to $0.97 in the
fourth quarter of last year. During the fourth quarter the Company
repurchased $153.3 million of its common stock.

    Revenue for the full year 2007 was $5.73 billion compared to $5.80
billion in 2006, a 1.3 percent decline. For the full year, wholesale
shipments of Harley-Davidson(R) motorcycles were 330,619 units, a 5.3
percent decrease compared to 2006. Diluted earnings per share were $3.74,
declining 4.8 percent compared to 2006.

    "Harley-Davidson managed through a weak U.S. economy during 2007," said
Jim Ziemer, Chief Executive Officer of Harley-Davidson, Inc. "As we
announced in September, we reduced our wholesale motorcycle shipment plan
for the fourth quarter, fulfilling our commitment to our dealers to ship
fewer Harley-Davidson motorcycles than we expected our dealers worldwide to
sell at retail during 2007," said Ziemer.

    "While these are challenging times in the U.S., our international
dealer network delivered double digit retail sales growth in the fourth
quarter and for the full year of 2007. And our customers around the world
have a lot to look forward to this year with the new motorcycles we are
bringing to market, the opening of the Harley-Davidson Museum, and hundreds
of rides and events leading up to our 105th Anniversary Celebration in
Milwaukee this summer," he said.

    For 2008, the Company once again plans to ship fewer Harley-Davidson
motorcycles than it expects its worldwide dealer network to sell. The
Company also expects moderate revenue growth, lower operating margin, and a
diluted earnings per share growth rate of 4 to 7 percent compared to 2007.
For the first quarter, it expects to ship between 68,000 and 72,000
Harley-Davidson motorcycles, which compares to 67,761 units in the first
quarter of 2007.

    "Looking ahead, we will continue to manage the Company to generate
long-term sustainable shareholder value while protecting the brand. We
expect the U.S. economy to continue to be very challenging in 2008, and we
will closely monitor the retail environment and regularly assess our
wholesale shipments throughout the year," said Ziemer.

    Motorcycles and Related Products Segment -- Fourth Quarter Results

    Revenue from Harley-Davidson motorcycles was $1.12 billion, a decrease
of $105.5 million or 8.6 percent versus the same period last year.
Shipments of Harley-Davidson motorcycles totaled 81,206 units, a decrease
of 11,642 units or 12.5 percent compared to last year's fourth quarter.

    Revenue from Parts and Accessories (P&A), which consists of Genuine
Motor Parts and Genuine Motor Accessories, totaled $165.2 million, a
decrease of $14.0 million or 7.8 percent from the year-ago quarter. Revenue
from General Merchandise, which consists of MotorClothes(R) apparel and
collectibles, totaled $73.4 million, an increase of $2.8 million or 4.0
percent over the year-ago quarter.

    Gross margin for the fourth quarter of 2007 was 35.7 percent of revenue
compared to 38.0 percent for the fourth quarter last year. Fourth quarter
operating margin decreased to 18.1 percent from 22.5 percent in the fourth
quarter of 2006.

    Motorcycle Retail Sales Data

    During the fourth quarter, worldwide retail sales of Harley-Davidson
motorcycles decreased 6.1 percent compared to the fourth quarter of 2006.
U.S. retail sales of Harley-Davidson motorcycles decreased 14.2 percent for
the quarter. The heavyweight motorcycle market in the U.S. decreased 9.0
percent for the same period.

    Retail sales of Harley-Davidson motorcycles increased 17.4 percent in
the Company's international markets during the fourth quarter of 2007
compared to the fourth quarter of 2006. Fourth quarter retail sales
increased 10.9 percent in Europe; Canada was up 45.9 percent; and Japan was
up 4.5 percent. All other international markets combined were up 28.6
percent.

    For the full year of 2007, worldwide retail sales of Harley-Davidson
motorcycles decreased 1.8 percent compared to the prior year. In the U.S.,
Harley-Davidson dealer retail sales decreased 6.2 percent for the full
year; international retail sales increased by 13.7 percent. The U.S.
heavyweight motorcycle market was down 5.0 percent for the full year of
2007.

    Additional data is listed in the accompanying tables.

    Financial Services Segment

    Harley-Davidson Financial Services (HDFS) reported fourth quarter
operating income of $38.6 million, a decrease of $9.1 million or 19.1
percent compared to the year ago quarter. The decrease is primarily due to
a $6.4 million write-down of retained securitization interests.

    Income Tax Rate

    The Company's fourth quarter effective income tax rate was 35.5 percent
compared to 35.1 percent in the same quarter last year. Fourth quarter 2006
effective income tax rate was lower primarily due to the retroactive
reinstatement of the federal research and development tax credit.

    Harley-Davidson, Inc. -- Twelve Month Results

    For the full year 2007, Harley-Davidson motorcycle revenue was $4.45
billion, a decrease of $106.9 million compared to 2006. P&A revenue totaled
$868.3 million, a 0.7 percent increase over last year's $862.3 million.
General Merchandise revenue totaled $305.4 million, a 10.1 percent increase
compared to $277.5 million during 2006.

    HDFS operating income was $212.2 million, a 0.7 percent increase over
last year's $210.7 million.

    Cash Flow

    Cash and marketable securities totaled $405.3 million as of December
31, 2007. Cash flow from operations was $798.1 million, and capital
expenditures were $242.1 million during the full year of 2007. In 2008,
capital expenditures are expected to be between $240 and $260 million.

    Stock Repurchase

    The Company repurchased 3.2 million shares of its common stock at a
cost of $153.3 million during the fourth quarter of 2007. For the full year
2007, the Company repurchased 20.4 million shares at a total cost of $1.15
billion. On December 31, 2007, the Company had 238.5 million shares of
common stock outstanding.

    As of December 31, 2007, there are 23.1 million shares remaining on
board-approved share repurchase authorizations. An additional
board-approved share repurchase authorization is in place to offset option
exercises.

    Company Background

    Harley-Davidson, Inc. is the parent company for the group of companies
doing business as Harley-Davidson Motor Company, Buell Motorcycle Company
and Harley-Davidson Financial Services. Harley-Davidson Motor Company, the
only major U.S.-based motorcycle manufacturer, produces heavyweight
motorcycles and offers a complete line of motorcycle parts, accessories,
apparel, and general merchandise. Buell Motorcycle Company produces sport
motorcycles. Harley-Davidson Financial Services provides wholesale and
retail financing and insurance programs to Harley-Davidson dealers and
their retail customers.

    Forward-Looking Statements

    The Company intends that certain matters discussed in this release are
"forward-looking statements" intended to qualify for the safe harbor from
liability established by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of
1995. These forward-looking statements can generally be identified as such
because the context of the statement will include words such as the Company
"believes," "anticipates," "expects," "plans," or "estimates" or words of
similar meaning. Similarly, statements that describe future plans,
objectives, outlooks, targets, guidance or goals are also forward-looking
statements. Such forward-looking statements are subject to certain risks
and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from
those anticipated as of the date of this release. Certain of such risks and
uncertainties are described below. Shareholders, potential investors, and
other readers are urged to consider these factors in evaluating the
forward-looking statements and cautioned not to place undue reliance on
such forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements included in
this release are only made as of the date of this release, and the Company
disclaims any obligation to publicly update such forward-looking statements
to reflect subsequent events or circumstances.

    The Company's ability to meet the targets and expectations noted
depends upon, among other factors, the Company's ability to (i) continue to
realize production efficiencies at its production facilities and manage
operating costs including materials, labor and overhead, (ii) manage
production capacity and production changes, (iii) manage supply chain
issues, (iv) provide products, services and experiences that are successful
in the marketplace, (v) develop and implement sales and marketing plans
that retain existing retail customers and attract new retail customers in
an increasingly competitive marketplace, (vi) sell all of its motorcycles
and related products and services to its independent dealers and, (vii)
continue to develop the capabilities of its distributor and dealer network,
(viii) manage changes and prepare for requirements in legislative and
regulatory environments for its products, services and operations, (ix)
adjust to fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates, interest rates
and commodity prices, (x) manage access to reliable sources of capital and
adjust to fluctuations in the cost of capital, (xi) manage regional and
worldwide demographic trends and economic and political conditions,
including healthcare inflation, pension reform and tax changes, (xii)
anticipate consumer confidence in the economy, (xiii) manage the credit
quality, the loan servicing and collection activities, and the recovery
rates of HDFS' loan portfolio, (xiv) retain and attract talented employees,
(xv) detect any issues with our motorcycles or manufacturing processes to
avoid delays in new model launches, recall campaigns, increased warranty
costs or litigation and (xvi) implement and manage enterprise-wide
information technology solutions and secure data contained in those
systems.

    In addition, the Company could experience delays or disruptions in its
operations as a result of work stoppages, strikes, natural causes,
terrorism or other factors. Other factors are described in risk factors
that the Company has disclosed in documents previously filed with the
Securities and Exchange Commission.

    The Company's ability to sell its motorcycles and related products and
services and to meet its financial expectations also depends on the ability
of the Company's independent dealers to sell its motorcycles and related
products and services to retail customers. The Company depends on the
capability and financial capacity of its independent dealers and
distributors to develop and implement effective retail sales plans to
create demand for the motorcycles and related products and services they
purchase from the Company.


In addition, the Company's independent dealers and distributors may experience difficulties in selling Harley-Davidson motorcycles and related products and services as a result of weather, economic conditions or other factors. Harley-Davidson, Inc. Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income (In thousands, except per share amounts) (Unaudited) (Unaudited) (Unaudited) Three months ended Twelve months ended December December December December 31, 2007 31, 2006 31, 2007 31, 2006 Net revenue $1,386,354 $1,502,633 $5,726,848 $5,800,686 Gross profit 494,534 571,052 2,114,100 2,232,847 Operating expenses 243,945 233,073 883,457 823,857 Operating income from motorcycles & related products 250,589 337,979 1,230,643 1,408,990 Financial services income 96,232 93,079 416,196 384,891 Financial services expense 57,678 45,433 204,027 174,167 Operating income from financial services 38,554 47,646 212,169 210,724 Corporate expenses 3,488 5,838 17,251 22,561 Income from operations 285,655 379,787 1,425,561 1,597,153 Investment income, net 2,826 8,945 22,258 27,087 Income before provision for income taxes 288,481 388,732 1,447,819 1,624,240 Provision for income taxes 102,404 136,306 513,976 581,087 Net income $186,077 $252,426 $933,843 $1,043,153 Earnings per common share: Basic $0.78 $0.98 $3.75 $3.94 Diluted $0.78 $0.97 $3.74 $3.93 Weighted-average common shares: Basic 239,390 258,138 249,205 264,453 Diluted 239,845 259,158 249,882 265,273 Cash dividends per common share $0.30 $0.21 $1.06 $0.81 Harley-Davidson, Inc. Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (In thousands) (Unaudited) December 31, December 31, 2007 2006 ASSETS Current Assets: Cash and cash equivalents $402,854 $238,397 Marketable securities 2,475 658,133 Accounts receivable, net 181,217 143,049 Finance receivables held for sale 781,280 547,106 Finance receivables held for investment, net 1,575,283 1,554,260 Inventories 349,697 287,798 Other current assets 174,508 121,890 Total current assets 3,467,314 3,550,633 Finance receivables held for investment, net 845,044 725,957 Other long-term assets 1,344,248 1,255,560 $5,656,606 $5,532,150 LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY Current liabilities: Accounts payable & accrued liabilities $785,124 $763,186 Current portion of finance debt 1,119,955 832,491 Total current liabilities 1,905,079 1,595,677 Finance debt 980,000 870,000 Postretirement healthcare benefits 192,531 201,126 Other long-term liabilities 203,505 108,610 Total shareholders' equity 2,375,491 2,756,737 $5,656,606 $5,532,150 Harley-Davidson, Inc. Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (In thousands) (Unaudited) Twelve months ended December December December 31, 2007 31, 2006 31, 2005 Net cash provided by operating activities $798,146 $761,780 $962,614 Cash flows from investing activities: Capital expenditures (242,113) (219,602) (198,389) Finance receivables held for investment, net (145,381) (151,624) (156,438) Collection of retained securitization interests 118,175 101,641 115,346 Net change in marketable securities 657,735 253,512 431,075 Other, net 2,789 (19,186) 2,246 Net cash provided by (used by) investing activities 391,205 (35,259) 193,840 Cash flows from financing activities: Proceeds from issuance of medium term notes 398,144 - 199,974 Net (decrease) increase in finance-credit facilities and commercial paper (16,247) 493,125 (280,694) Repayment of senior subordinated debt (30,000) - - Dividends (260,805) (212,914) (173,785) Purchase of common stock for treasury (1,153,439) (1,061,968) (1,054,615) Excess tax benefits from share-based payments 3,066 18,933 6,065 Issuance of common stock under employee stock option plans 21,478 125,801 31,264 Net cash used by financing activities (1,037,803) (637,023) (1,271,791) Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents 12,909 7,924 (18,847) Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents 164,457 97,422 (134,184) Cash and cash equivalents: At beginning of period 238,397 140,975 275,159 At end of period $402,854 $238,397 $140,975 Net Revenue and Motorcycle Shipment Data (Unaudited) (Unaudited) (Unaudited) Three months ended Twelve months ended December December December December 31, 2007 31, 2006 31, 2007 31, 2006 NET REVENUE (in thousands) Harley-Davidson(R) motorcycles $1,118,328 $1,223,861 $4,446,637 $4,553,561 Buell(R) motorcycles 27,739 27,401 100,534 102,227 Parts & Accessories 165,190 179,151 868,297 862,251 General Merchandise 73,424 70,617 305,435 277,490 Other 1,673 1,603 5,945 5,157 $1,386,354 $1,502,633 $5,726,848 $5,800,686 HARLEY-DAVIDSON UNITS Motorcycle shipments: United States 59,092 74,492 241,539 273,212 Export 22,114 18,356 89,080 75,984 Total 81,206 92,848 330,619 349,196 Motorcycle product mix: Touring 29,142 32,530 114,076 123,444 Custom 34,931 44,591 144,507 161,195 Sportster(R) 17,133 15,727 72,036 64,557 Total 81,206 92,848 330,619 349,196 BUELL UNITS Motorcycle shipments: Buell 3,137 3,355 11,513 12,460 Retail Sales of Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Year to Date December 2007 2006 United States 251,772 268,366 Europe* 38,866 33,786 Japan 13,765 13,284 Canada 14,779 13,514 All other markets 18,592 15,031 Total Retail Sales of Harley-Davidson Motorcycles 337,774 343,981 Data Source (subject to update) Data source for all 2006 and 2007 retail sales figures shown above is sales warranty and registration information provided by Harley-Davidson dealers and compiled by the Company. The Company must rely on information that its dealers supply concerning ret Only Harley-Davidson(R) motorcycles are included in the Harley-Davidson Motorcycle Sales data. *Data for Europe includes Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. Heavyweight Market Data Data Through Month Indicated 2007 2006 United States (1) (December) 516,083 542,991 Europe (2) (November) 385,589 365,889 1 - United States industry data includes 651+cc models, derived from submission of motorcycle retail sales by each major manufacturer to an independent third party. 2 - Europe data includes Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. Industry retail motorcycle registration data includes 651+cc models, derived from information provided by Giral S.A., an independent agency.
SOURCE Harley-Davidson, Inc.




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    CONTACT:
    financial, Amy Giuffre, +1-414-343-8002, or
    media, Bob Klein +1-414-343-4433, both of Harley-Davidson, Inc.