my dad sent this to me in an email, looks like polaris is doing good! current stock price is $60.19 and it fell 3.21 cents today [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-sad.gif[/img] huge fall...


"Polaris Earnings Rise, But Shares Slip
April 14, 2005 2:11:00 PM ET



By David Bailey

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Polaris Industries Inc. (PII), a leading snowmobile maker, on Thursday said quarterly earnings rose as sales grew in all-terrain vehicles and motorcycles, but shares fell 4 percent on inventory jitters.

ATV inventories were a little high at the end of the first quarter, about the same as the end of 2004, but manageable, and snowmobile inventories also were disappointing, Chief Executive Tom Tiller said in a conference call with analysts.

``Overall, sales for the quarter were strong and came in above expectations, but we remain concerned over U.S. ATV and snowmobile dealer inventory levels,' J.P. Morgan analyst Rami Abdel-Misih said in a research note.

Tiller said he remained confident of meeting challenges from increased oil and commodity prices, rising interest rates and sparse snowfall, which has hurt snowmobile sales.

Polaris matched analysts' first-quarter forecasts and backed its prior 2005 earnings and sales forecasts. Higher sales volume and lower operating expenses, as a percent of sales, helped boost the quarterly results.

Net income rose to $18.8 million, or 42 cents a share, in the first quarter from $14.3 million, or 32 cents, a year earlier.

Analysts, on average, expected Polaris to earn 42 cents per share for the quarter, according to Reuters Estimates.

The market remains on edge for any signs of inventories rising. Harley-Davidson Inc. (HDI) shares tumbled 17 percent on Wednesday after the motorcycle maker cut its prior 2005 production forecast as a precaution and blamed delayed spring warming for a dip in first-quarter U.S. retail sales.

Polaris said sales from continuing operations rose 9 percent to $358.3 million in the quarter from a year earlier.

Sales of ATVs, which made up nearly 75 percent of sales overall, rose 12 percent to $265.9 million on strong demand and on a 6 percent increase in the average price per unit over the year earlier quarter, Polaris said.

Stronger sales of ATV parts and accessories helped push revenue in Polaris' parts, garments and accessories segment up 8 percent to $61.7 million in the quarter from a year earlier.

Sales of Victory motorcycles also rose 12 percent to $23.4 million, while snowmobile sales dropped 46 percent to $7.2 million from a year earlier, when late season snowfall helped drive higher-than-normal sales, Polaris said.

Snowfall in the first quarter of 2005 also was below normal in many North American regions, which left dealers with higher inventories than last year, the company said.

Polaris affirmed its prior 2005 earnings per share forecast range of $3.28 to $3.42 and sales growth range from 7 percent to 10 percent. It earned $3.04 per share in 2004.

Second-quarter earnings per share are expected to range from 65 cents to 68 cents, with sales up 7 percent to 10 percent, Polaris said.

Analysts, on average, expect Polaris to earn $3.40 per share for 2005 and 70 cents per share in the second quarter.

Shares of Polaris were off $2.44, or 3.9 percent, at $60.96 Thursday on the New York Stock Exchange.

© 2005 Reuters "

 

well.... that sucks. i think.

 

Actually it could be a good thing if you are in the market for a new quad, if they are concerned with dealer inventory they should be putting out some good deals to get rid of the excess. But who knows, I'm not an expert.

 

I think these stock analysts are on dope. Polaris sales are up, stock goes down. Same over at Apple Computer.

Makes you wonder ...

 

i remember a few weeks ago polaris stock was at $77 dollers, fell alot since gas prices went up, the whole market has.