Harley-Davidson Raises 2026 Guidance Amid Inventory Discipline and Retail Growth
Harley-Davidson (HOG) has raised its full-year 2026 financial guidance following a strong third quarter characterized by significant North American retail growth. Under the 'Back to the Bricks' turnaround strategy, the company successfully grew domestic retail sales by over 9% year-over-year while simultaneously reducing dealer inventory by 26%. This shift toward prioritizing retail demand over wholesale shipments aims to protect dealer profitability and improve inventory health. The company is also seeing success in reclaiming cruiser market share through new Softail model launches, which have achieved two-year high MSRP realization. Financially, Harley-Davidson demonstrated capital discipline by repurchasing $91 million in shares and halting the funding of operating losses at its electric subsidiary, LiveWire Group. Management remains optimistic about maintaining margins despite potential tariff structures heading into 2027.