Born To Ride News

Custom Fit and Road Ready

MILWAUKEE  – With three custom styles featuring a modern wash and updated fits, the new Men’s Denim Jeans from the Harley-Davidson^® MotorClothes^® line are built to wear as well as they look. They’re constructed from 100 percent 12.75-oz. cotton denim, with five-pocket styling including the unique left-side coin pocket. The dark, slightly-tinted washes feature distressed sandblasting on the thighs, embossed leather Bar & Shield waist patch and custom Harley-Davidson back-pocket embroidery. The New Classic Boot Cut Jeans
(P/N 99028-10VM, $39) combine a slimmer fit through the seat and thighs with a wider boot cut leg opening. Relaxed Straight Leg and Traditional fits are also available, all in 28-46-in. waist sizes with 30-, 32-, 34- or 36-in. inseams.

The new Men’s Denim Jeans are available now at most Harley-Davidson dealerships.

For additional information on Harley-Davidson MotorClothes products, see your local Harley-Davidson dealer or visit harley-davidson.com. To find a dealer near you, call 1.800.LUV.2RIDE in the U.S. or Canada.

In the latest round of takeover speculation, traders talk up a buyout by Kohlberg Kravis Roberts. But it could just be talk.

Posted by Charley Blaine on Tuesday, March 16, 2010 

Harley-Davidson (HOG) shares shot higher today as traders speculated the motorcycle maker was the potential target of a leveraged buyout.

The stock was up 7% to $28.35 today. Shares had been as high as $28.43.

Traders in Frankfurt, Germany, cited market talk that private equity firm Kohlberg Kravis Roberts was a potential bidder for Harley.

Trading in call options was heavy, WhatsTrading.com options strategist Frederic Ruffy told Reuters.

“Traders are focused on short-term March call options with strikes between $25 and $28 and the April $28 and $30 calls,” he said. March options expire on Friday after the close.

Volatility in the options was “hot . . . and indicates fear as well as short-covering,” said Jon Najarian, co-founder of optionMonster.com. There is a 15% short interest in Harley shares, he noted.

Harley-Davidson had no comment.

“There is a lot of cash chasing very low returns at the moment. So, any company that looks like it is well run and is relatively cheap in valuation may find themselves subject to these rumors,” TD Ameritrade chief derivatives strategist Joe Kinahan told Reuters.

The March calls allowing investors to buy the shares at $27 apiece by this Friday and the April $30 calls are trading briskly, said Jud Pyle, chief investment strategist at OptionsNews Network.

In the last few weeks, there has been takeover speculation in a host of stocks, including Radio Shack (RSH), AK Steel (AKS), supermarket operator Supervalu (SVU), Beazer Homes (BZH) and Calpine (CPN) and chemical producer Huntsman (HUN).

Many haven’t panned out. But Najarian noted that rumors about Smith International (SII) have proved true. It’s being acquired by Schlumberger. And medical instrument maker Millipore (MIL) is merging with Merck of Germany (MKGAF).

“Just like many other stocks in the last few weeks, Harley-Davidson is popping on LBO rumors. On Friday it was Supervalu, today it is Harley,” Pyle said.

Retrieved March 18, 2010; from http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/Investing/Dispatch/market-dispatches.aspx?post=1707481&_blg=1,1707481