Harley-Davidson, Inc. first-quarter 2014 diluted earnings per share of $1.21 grew 22.2% from the previous year on higher motorcycle shipments and continued improvement in operating efficiencies. First-quarter net income was $265.9 million on consolidated revenue of $1.73 billion, compared to net income of $224.1 million a year ago on consolidated revenue of $1.57 billion.
“Harley-Davidson delivered gains on many fronts in the first quarter, with shipments up 7.3%, strong margin improvement and solid growth in dealer new motorcycle sales,” said Keith Wandell, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Harley-Davidson, Inc.
“Thanks to the great contributions of our employees, dealers and suppliers, we continue to lead at delivering exceptional customer experiences in 89 countries. Our Project RUSHMORE motorcycles were in high demand in the quarter and we began shipping the Harley-Davidson Street 750 and 500 into select markets. These motorcycles, together with continuous improvement in our operations at every level, underscore the momentum we’ve established as a customer-led company.”
Dealers worldwide sold 57,415 new Harley-Davidson motorcycles in the first quarter of 2014 compared to 54,254 motorcycles in the same quarter last year. In the U.S., dealers sold 35,730 new Harley-Davidson motorcycles in the quarter, up 3.0% compared to sales of 34,706 motorcycles in the quarter last year. In international markets, dealers sold 21,685 new Harley-Davidson motorcycles during the first quarter, up 10.9% compared to 19,548 motorcycles last year, with sales up 20.5% in the Asia Pacific region, 8.2% in the EMEA region and 8.9% in the Latin America region, and down 2.4% in Canada.
“Our dealers had a solid quarter of retail motorcycle sales. Sales in the Asia Pacific region were up strongly, and we are encouraged by the continued growth of new Harley-Davidson motorcycle sales in Europe. We’re also excited to be entering the heart of the retail selling season in the U.S., having achieved first-quarter retail growth of 3.0% in the midst of a long, cold winter,” said Wandell.
In 2013, for the sixth consecutive year, Harley-Davidson was the number-one seller of new on-road motorcycles in the U.S., both 601cc-plus and across all displacements, to young adults ages 18-34, women, African-Americans and Hispanics and Caucasian men age 35-plus, according to Polk 2013 U.S. new motorcycle registration data from IHS Automotive. The company grew its U.S. market share and also increased its share gap to the nearest competitor in each of these segments, compared to 2012.
“Together with our dealers, we continued to expand the appeal of our products and the Harley-Davidson experience,” said Wandell. “Harley-Davidson dealers sold more than four times as many new, on-road motorcycles, 601cc and up, to U.S. young adults last year, and among riders age 35-plus, more than nine times as many to women, more than six times as many to African Americans and more than seven times as many to Hispanics, as the nearest competitor.”
Revenue from motorcycles grew 13.1% to $1.31 billion, compared to revenue of $1.15 billion in the quarter last year. The company shipped 80,682 motorcycles to dealers and distributors worldwide during the quarter, in line with guidance and a 7.3% increase compared to shipments of 75,222 motorcycles in the quarter last year.
