Company Reduces Full Year Shipments and Revises Guidance
MILWAUKEE, April 17 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Harley-Davidson, Inc.
(NYSE: HOG) today announced its results for the first quarter ended March
30, 2008. Revenue for the quarter was $1.31 billion compared to $1.18
billion in the year-ago quarter, a 10.8 percent increase. Net income for
the quarter was $187.6 million compared to $192.3 million, a decrease of
2.5 percent compared to the first quarter of 2007. First quarter diluted
earnings per share (EPS) were $0.79, a 6.8 percent increase compared to
last year's $0.74.
"With growing weakness in the economy, U.S. retail sales of
Harley-Davidson(R) motorcycles were down 12.8 percent in the first quarter.
Although these retail results are disappointing, Harley-Davidson's U.S.
dealers outperformed the heavyweight motorcycle industry, which was down
14.0 percent," said Jim Ziemer, Chief Executive Officer of Harley-Davidson,
Inc.
"We've said on a number of occasions that we would closely monitor the
retail environment and regularly assess our wholesale shipment plans, and
we remain committed to shipping fewer Harley-Davidson motorcycles to our
worldwide dealer network than we expect they will sell this year. In view
of U.S. retail trends and uncertainty about the future of the economy, we
now plan to ship 23,000 to 27,000 fewer Harley-Davidson motorcycles in 2008
than we shipped in 2007, resulting in total planned 2008 shipments between
303,500 and 307,500 units," Ziemer said.
"We will achieve the shipment reduction through temporary plant
shutdowns and adjustments to daily production rates. This will result in a
decrease of about 370 unionized employees over the next several months. Our
management group and union leaders will work together to implement this
reduction."
"The Company will also be reducing the non-production workforce by
about 360 jobs. We believe these actions will better position the Company
for a business environment that we expect to continue to be challenging,"
Ziemer said.
"Harley-Davidson is fortunate to be dealing with the current economic
environment from a position of financial strength. We are a great company
with an exceptionally powerful brand. We are optimistic about our long term
business prospects and we will continue to invest in marketing, product
development and our international business to drive future growth."
"For 2008, the Company now expects earnings per share to decrease
between 15 and 20 percent compared to 2007 resulting in expected earnings
per share of $3.00 to $3.18," said Ziemer. This supersedes all previous
guidance on earnings per share and other measures.
The Company expects to ship between 76,000 and 80,000 Harley-Davidson
motorcycles in the second quarter of 2008.
Motorcycles and Related Products Segment - First Quarter Results
Revenue from Harley-Davidson motorcycles was $1.02 billion, an increase
of $125.7 million or 14.1 percent versus the same period last year.
Shipments of Harley-Davidson motorcycles totaled 71,868 units, an increase
of 4,107 units or 6.1 percent compared to last year's first quarter.
Shipments in the first quarter of 2007 were affected by a strike at
Harley-Davidson's production plants in York, Pa., that resulted in
approximately four weeks of lost production at the facilities.
Revenue from Parts and Accessories (P&A), which consists of Genuine
Motor Parts and Genuine Motor Accessories, totaled $181.9 million, a
decrease of $6.3 million or 3.3 percent versus the year-ago quarter.
Revenue from General Merchandise, which consists of MotorClothes(R) apparel
and collectibles, totaled $84.0 million, an increase of $7.9 million or
10.4 percent over the year-ago quarter.
Gross margin for the first quarter of 2008 was 36.4 percent of revenue
compared to 35.9 percent for the first quarter last year. Operating margin
remained unchanged at 20.0 percent in the first quarter of 2008 compared to
the prior year.
Motorcycle Retail Sales Data
During the first quarter, worldwide retail sales of Harley-Davidson
motorcycles decreased 5.6 percent compared to the prior year quarter. In
the U.S., retail sales of Harley-Davidson motorcycles decreased 12.8
percent for the quarter while the heavyweight motorcycle industry in the
U.S. decreased 14.0 percent.
Retail sales of Harley-Davidson motorcycles increased 16.8 percent in
international markets during the first quarter of 2008 compared to the
first quarter of 2007. First quarter retail sales increased 31.1 percent in
Canada; the Europe Region was up 7.8 percent; the Asia Pacific Region was
up 19.5 percent; and the Latin America Region was up 53.3 percent.
Data is listed in the accompanying tables.
Financial Services Segment
Harley-Davidson Financial Services (HDFS) reported first quarter
operating income of $34.9 million, a decrease of $24.0 million or 40.8
percent compared to the year-ago quarter. The decrease is primarily due to
a reduction in income from securitization.
Income Tax Rate
The Company's first quarter effective income tax rate was 36.0 percent
compared to 35.5 percent in the same quarter last year. This increase was
due to the expiration of the federal research and development tax credit as
of December 31, 2007. Assuming the retroactive reinstatement of this tax
credit, the Company expects its full year effective tax rate in 2008 will
be 35.5 percent.
Cash Flow
Cash and marketable securities totaled $333.2 million as of March 30,
2008. Cash flow from operations was $146.8 million and capital expenditures
were $43.2 million during the first quarter of 2008. For the full year of
2008, capital expenditures are now expected to be between $235 million and
$250 million.
Stock Repurchase
The Company repurchased 2.6 million shares of its common stock at a
cost of $100.1 million during the first quarter of 2008. On March 30, 2008,
the Company had 236.5 million shares of common stock outstanding.
As of March 30, 2008, there were 20.5 million shares remaining on two
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 (HDMC), Buell Motorcycle
Company (Buell) and Harley-Davidson Financial Services (HDFS).
Harley-Davidson Motor Company produces heavyweight motorcycles and offers a
line of motorcycle parts, accessories, general merchandise and related
services. HDMC manufactures five families of motorcycles: Touring, Dyna(R),
Softail (R), Sportster (R) and VRSC(TM). Buell produces premium sport
performance motorcycles and offers a line of motorcycle parts, accessories,
and apparel. HDFS provides wholesale and retail financing and insurance
programs primarily to Harley-Davidson and Buell dealers and 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, (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) adjust to 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)
Three months ended
March 30, April 1,
2008 2007
Net revenue $1,306,313 $1,178,875
Gross profit 476,137 423,046
Operating expenses 214,533 187,803
Operating income from motorcycles &
related products 261,604 235,243
Financial services income 93,289 109,163
Financial services expense 58,382 50,226
Operating income from financial services 34,907 58,937
Corporate expenses 5,458 4,939
Income from operations 291,053 289,241
Investment income, net 2,042 8,915
Income before provision for income taxes 293,095 298,156
Provision for income taxes 105,514 105,846
Net income $187,581 $192,310
Earnings per common share:
Basic $0.79 $0.75
Diluted $0.79 $0.74
Weighted-average common shares:
Basic 237,078 257,326
Diluted 237,250 258,158
Cash dividends per common share $0.30 $0.21
Harley-Davidson, Inc.
Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets
(In thousands)
(Unaudited) (Unaudited)
March 30, December 31, April 1,
2008 2007 2007
ASSETS
Current Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents $332,639 $402,854 $310,010
Marketable securities 524 2,475 618,502
Accounts receivable, net 330,147 181,217 147,732
Finance receivables held for sale 729,814 781,280 297,885
Finance receivables held for
investment, net 1,565,022 1,575,283 1,550,001
Inventories 441,205 349,697 369,418
Other current assets 187,436 174,508 122,627
Total current assets 3,586,787 3,467,314 3,416,175
Finance receivables held for
investment, net 937,495 845,044 767,529
Other long-term assets 1,340,117 1,344,248 1,262,794
$5,864,399 $5,656,606 $5,446,498
LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable & accrued
liabilities $925,014 $785,124 $854,464
Current portion of finance debt 1,111,036 1,119,955 463,530
Total current liabilities 2,036,050 1,905,079 1,317,994
Finance debt 980,000 980,000 890,000
Postretirement healthcare benefits 199,978 192,531 203,514
Other long-term liabilities 216,946 203,505 199,503
Total shareholders' equity 2,431,425 2,375,491 2,835,487
$5,864,399 $5,656,606 $5,446,498
Note: On January 1, 2008 the Company recorded a reduction to shareholders'
equity of $18.1 million ($11.2 million, net of tax) to adopt provisions of
Statement of Financial Accounting Standard No. 158, "Employers' Accounting
for Defined Benefit Pension and Other Postretirement Plans, an amendment
of FASB Statements No. 87, 88, 106 and 132( R )" that require sponsors of
defined benefit pension and postretirement plans to measure the funded
status of those plans as of the date of the year-end statement of
financial position.
Harley-Davidson, Inc.
Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows
(In thousands)
(Unaudited)
Three months ended
March 30, April 1,
2008 2007
Net cash provided by operating activities $146,778 $519,624
Cash flows from investing activities:
Capital expenditures (43,239) (40,775)
Finance receivables held for investment, net (24,735) (12,940)
Collection of retained securitization interests 10,796 14,493
Net change in marketable securities 2,019 40,622
Other, net 1,511 4,545
Net cash (used by) provided by investing activities (53,648) 5,945
Cash flows from financing activities:
Net decrease in finance-credit facilities and
commercial paper (9,392) (353,540)
Dividends (71,023) (54,103)
Purchase of common stock for treasury (100,096) (61,251)
Excess tax benefits from share-based payments 312 1,157
Issuance of common stock under employee stock
option plans 584 12,953
Net cash used by financing activities (179,615) (454,784)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash
equivalents 16,270 828
Net (decrease) increase in cash and cash
equivalents (70,215) 71,613
Cash and cash equivalents:
At beginning of period 402,854 238,397
At end of period $332,639 $310,010
Net Revenue and Motorcycle
Shipment Data
(Unaudited) (Unaudited)
Three months ended
March 30, April 1,
2008 2007
NET REVENUE (in thousands)
Harley-Davidson( R ) motorcycles $1,017,218 $891,518
Buell( R ) motorcycles 22,075 21,655
Parts & Accessories 181,942 188,235
General Merchandise 84,006 76,112
Other 1,072 1,355
$1,306,313 $1,178,875
HARLEY-DAVIDSON UNITS
Motorcycle shipments:
United States 47,826 48,740
Export 24,042 19,021
Total 71,868 67,761
Motorcycle product mix:
Touring 26,435 21,802
Custom 29,072 30,768
Sportster( R ) 16,361 15,191
Total 71,868 67,761
BUELL UNITS
Motorcycle shipments:
Buell 2,392 2,558
Retail Sales of Harley-Davidson Motorcycles
Year to Date March
2008 2007
Total Worldwide Retail Sales of
Harley-Davidson Motorcycles 66,561 70,533
North America Region 49,255 55,473
United States 46,572 53,426
Canada 2,683 2,047
Europe Region (Includes Middle
East and Africa) 10,149 9,415
Europe* 9,075 8,686
Other 1,074 729
Asia Pacific Region 5,300 4,434
Japan 2,738 2,292
Other 2,562 2,142
Latin America Region 1,857 1,211
Data Source (subject to update)
Data source for all 2007 and 2008 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 retail sales, and this information is
subject to revision.
Only Harley-Davidson(R) motorcycles are included in the Harley-Davidson
Motorcycle Sales data.
* Europe data 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
2008 2007
United States (1) (March) 93,155 108,337
Europe (2) (February) 47,764 39,785
(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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Related links:
http://www.harley-davidson.com
CONTACT:
Financial, Amy Giuffre, +1-414-343-8002, or
Media, Bob Klein +1-414-343-4433, both of Harley-Davidson, Inc.
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