Harley-Davidson reported full-year 2010 income from continuing operations of $259.7 million, or $1.11 per share, compared with income of $70.6 million, or $0.30 per share, from continuing operations in 2009. For the fourth quarter of 2010, Harley-Davidson recorded a loss from continuing operations of $42.1 million, or $0.18 per share, which includes the impact of a one-time, $85.2 million charge from the Company’s early repurchase of senior unsecured notes during the quarter.
Retail sales of new Harley-Davidson motorcycles in the fourth quarter were nearly level with the year-ago period, decreasing 1.0 percent worldwide and 0.2 percent in the U.S.
The Company’s financial services unit, Harley-Davidson Financial Services, was a key contributor to 2010 earnings, with operating income from financial services of $181.9 million for the full year, including $43.5 million in the fourth quarter. Operating income from motorcycles and related products was $378.8 million for the full year, including an operating loss of $6.8 million in the fourth quarter.
"We feel good about our 2010 results,” said Keith Wandell, president and chief executive officer of Harley-Davidson, Inc. “Through the hard work of a lot of very dedicated and talented employees and dealers, we have made strong progress at transforming our business to be leaner, more agile and even more effective at delivering great products and customer experiences.
“In 2010, we expanded our international footprint, saw improvement in our motorcycle segment results driven by the restructuring of our operations and returned HDFS to solid profitability. A strong, financially sound Harley-Davidson is key to our ability to invest in the business and grow. While there is still hard work ahead, and we remain cautious in our outlook, I am confident that we are positioning Harley-Davidson to succeed and deliver value for all our stakeholders into the future,” Wandell said.
