Mark Szakonyi, Associate Editor | Apr 25, 2012 11:51AM EDT
Shipments of Harley-Davidson motorcycles in the first quarter jumped 19.4 percent year-over-year, reflecting a revving up of consumer confidence in the U.S. and abroad.
The iconic motorcycle manufacturer’s revenue rose 20.3 percent year-over-year in the same period, driven by a 25.5 percent increase in U.S. sales. The strong revenue helped boost profit 29.7 percent year-over-year to $456.5 million.
"We continue to be encouraged by the strong trend at retail and in earnings over the past several quarters. Our first quarter performance reflects the outstanding appeal of our products, the ongoing results of our transformation strategy, the efforts of our dealers and employees, and improving macro-economic conditions in the U.S.," said Chairman and CEO Keith Wandell.
The iconic brand sold 59,677 motorcycles in the first quarter, a 20.3 percent increase from the same period a year ago. Roughly two-thirds of those sales were in the U.S.
Harley-Davidson expects to ship 245,000 to 250,000 motorcycles this year, a roughly 2 percent increase from 2011. The company shipped 10.7 percent more motorcycles in 2010 than it did in the previous year.
Contact Mark Szakonyi at mszakonyi@joc.com. Follow him on Twitter @szakonyi_joc.
