Harley-Davidson has not made a final decision on pursuing a sale of the unit and could opt to keep it, the sources said. A representative for the Milwaukee-based company declined to comment. The potential sale comes as Harley-Davidson grapples with a lagging stock price, lackluster sales growth and stiff competition from rivals including Honda Motor and BMW. Harley-Davidson announced this week that chief executive officer Jochen Zeitz plans to step down, wrapping up a five-year tenure.
RELATED | Harley Davidson CEO Retiring
Harley-Davidson fell 9.3 per cent to close at US$21.49 in New York trading on Thursday (Apr 10), giving the company a market value of about US$2.7 billion. The stock has fallen 48 per cent in the past year. HDFS helps the company’s dealers finance their inventory and helps consumers finance the purchase of Harley-Davidson and LiveWire motorcycles. It also works with third parties to provide motorcycle insurance.
SOURCE: Bloomberg