Not a good buy right now for an impatient entry: price is pressing near-term resistance (~20.76) while the broader trend remains bearish (SMA200 > SMA20 > SMA5), creating unfavorable risk/reward.
Options are sending mixed sentiment (put-heavy open interest but call-heavy volume) with very high IV ahead of earnings (Feb 10 pre-market), which increases event-driven uncertainty for a “buy now” decision.
With no supportive proprietary signals today and no fresh news catalyst, the cleaner setup is to wait for either a breakout above resistance or a pullback toward support—since waiting isn’t preferred in this scenario, the action is Hold / do not buy now.
Trend/MAs: Bearish structure (SMA200 > SMA20 > SMA5) suggests the larger trend is still down/weak despite the recent bounce.
Momentum: MACD histogram +0.0596 and expanding (>0) = improving momentum in the very near term.
RSI: RSI(6) 62.55 = neutral-to-slightly-bullish, not overbought, but not a deep-value entry either.
Key levels: Pivot 20.12; Resistance R1 20.76 (price closed ~20.67, very close to resistance); next resistance R2 21.16. Supports S1 19.48, S2 19.09.
Pattern-based odds: Similar candlestick patterns imply ~40% chance of +3.85% next day, +12.51% next week, +1.85% next month—helpful, but not strong enough to override the bearish MA stack.
Market context: S&P 500 -0.52% on the day; HOG outperformed, but that alone doesn’t confirm a trend reversal.
Options Data
Bearish
Open Interest Put-Call Ratio
Bullish
Option Volume Put-Call Ratio
Sentiment mix: Open Interest Put/Call 1.32 = more puts outstanding (more hedging / cautious longer-dated positioning), while Volume Put/Call 0.28 = call volume dominated today (short-term speculative bullishness).
Volatility: 30D IV 59.16 vs HV 24.58; IV percentile 86.06 = options are expensive and pricing a large move.
Event setup: Earnings on 2026-02-10 pre-market likely contributes to elevated IV; direction is less clear, but expected move is higher.
Activity: Today’s option volume (2723) is below typical (today vs 30D avg ~61.68%), so the call-skew in volume may be less reliable as a conviction signal.
Momentum improving: MACD histogram positive and expanding supports a near-term continuation attempt.
Operational narrative (from prior coverage): CEO actions on inventory reduction and dealer health were viewed positively by at least one bullish analyst (DA Davidson).
Earnings catalyst (Feb 10): could spark a breakout if results/guidance surprise positively.
Neutral/Negative Catalysts
often caps rallies and increases risk of rejection near resistance.
into earnings raises the odds of a sharp move against a “buy now” entry.
Net income: $377.4M, +217.01% YoY (sharp improvement).
EPS: 3.10, +240.66% YoY (strong earnings growth).
Profitability quality: Gross margin 34.77%, down 8.57% YoY (margin compression is the main blemish and a key item to watch going into QDEC 2025 earnings).
Growth
Profitability
Efficiency
Analyst Ratings and Price Target Trends
Recent trend: More cautious overall; multiple price targets were lowered and the mix is Hold/Neutral leaning with one Underweight.
Key updates:
(2026-01-16) Morgan Stanley: Underweight, PT cut to $18 from $21 (bearish view).
(2025-11-13) UBS: Neutral, PT cut to $27 from $28 (slightly less bullish).
(2025-11-10) DA Davidson: Buy, PT cut to $30 from $34 (bullish but trimming expectations).
Wall Street pros/cons snapshot:
Pros: Some believe operational fixes (inventory/dealer focus) can improve fundamentals; at least one Buy-rated analyst still sees upside.
Cons: Target cuts and an Underweight call suggest skepticism on demand/macro sensitivity and/or sustainability, reinforcing a cautious near-term stance.
Wall Street analysts forecast HOG stock price to rise over the next 12 months. According to Wall Street analysts, the average 1-year price target for HOG is 32.67 USD with a low forecast of 32 USD and a high forecast of 34 USD. However, analyst price targets are subjective and often lag stock prices, so investors should focus on the objective reasons behind analyst rating changes, which better reflect the company's fundamentals.
4 Analyst Rating
Wall Street analysts forecast HOG stock price to rise over the next 12 months. According to Wall Street analysts, the average 1-year price target for HOG is 32.67 USD with a low forecast of 32 USD and a high forecast of 34 USD. However, analyst price targets are subjective and often lag stock prices, so investors should focus on the objective reasons behind analyst rating changes, which better reflect the company's fundamentals.
3 Buy
1 Hold
0 Sell
Strong Buy
Current: 20.090
Low
32
Averages
32.67
High
34
Current: 20.090
Low
32
Averages
32.67
High
34
Morgan Stanley
Underweight
downgrade
$21 -> $18
AI Analysis
2026-01-16
Reason
Morgan Stanley
Price Target
$21 -> $18
AI Analysis
2026-01-16
downgrade
Underweight
Reason
Morgan Stanley lowered the firm's price target on Harley-Davidson to $18 from $21 and keeps an Underweight rating on the shares. Gaming, lodging and leisure fundamentals were "muted" in 2025, with select areas of acceleration skewed to companies serving older, wealthier consumers, the analyst tells investors in a 2026 look ahead note on the group. For 2026, the firm expects "more of the same fundamentally," with the added wrinkle of rates boosting goods over services, the analyst added.
Loop Capital
Hold
initiated
$21
2025-11-25
Reason
Loop Capital
Price Target
$21
2025-11-25
initiated
Hold
Reason
Loop Capital initiated coverage of Harley-Davidson with a Hold rating and $21 price target.
Unlock Full Analyst Thesis, Get the complete breakdown of rating reason for HOG