Harley-Davidson Announces Strategic Partnership with KKR and PIMCO

Unlocks ~$1.25 billion of discretionary cash for Harley-Davidson and transforms Harley-Davidson Financial Services (HDFS) into a capital-light and derisked business that will continue to originate and service both new and existing retail loans

Transaction monetizes HDFS through sale of 4.9% common equity interests to each partner and includes the sale of more than $5 billion of retail loan receivables at a premium to par

HDFS has agreed to sell approximately two-thirds of retail loans originated by HDFS annually for a minimum period of five years

Values HDFS at ~1.75x price to post-transaction book value and reinforces strategic and financial value of HDFS to Harley-Davidson customers, dealers and shareholders

MILWAUKEE, July 30, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Harley-Davidson, Inc. (the "Company" or "Harley-Davidson") (NYSE:HOG) today announced that HDFS has entered into a long-term strategic partnership with KKR, a leading global investment firm, and PIMCO, a global leader in active fixed income with expertise across public and private markets. This partnership transforms HDFS into a capital-light financing business through the sale of existing and future retail loans while maintaining its strategic value to Harley-Davidson, its dealers, customers and investors. The sale of more than $5 billion of existing retail loan receivables is valued at a premium to par.

Under the terms of the agreement, HDFS will also sell 4.9% common equity interests to investment vehicles managed by KKR and PIMCO at an implied valuation of ~1.75x price to post-transaction book value. Harley-Davidson will retain control of HDFS, which will continue to originate and service existing and new consumer loans. The Company expects HDFS operating income to grow back toward pre-transaction levels over time.  

The Company plans to use the approximately $1.25 billion of cash unlocked through the transaction to reinvest to support demand-driven investments, reduce $450 million of HDI debt and return approximately $500 million to shareholders.

KKR's investment comes from KKR-managed credit funds and accounts via the firm's Asset-Based Finance strategy. PIMCO's investment comes from funds and accounts focused on PIMCO's private strategies.

Management Commentary

"This transaction delivers benefits to all of Harley-Davidson's stakeholders and marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter for HDFS," said Harley-Davidson Chairman, President, and CEO Jochen Zeitz. "From the outset of this process, we set out to demonstrate the class-leading returns of HDFS, create a long-term stable funding mechanism, and maintain the strong financial profile of HDFS, all without impacting service to dealers and customers. Our strategic partnership with KKR and PIMCO achieves each of these core objectives, valuing the HDFS business at a premium multiple and transforming it into a more capital-efficient business with an expected significantly higher return on equity. Importantly, the approximately $1.25 billion of cash this transaction unlocks allows us to strengthen Harley-Davidson by supporting additional investment into the business, further reducing debt, and accelerating cash returns to shareholders. For our customers and dealers, HDFS will continue to originate and service new and existing loans and provide dealers with service, benefits and flexibility commensurate with what HDFS currently provides, while we also invest in the future of Harley-Davidson for years to come. We are pleased we were able to deliver such a successful strategic partnership for all of our stakeholders."

Strategic Partner Commentary

"This transaction highlights the strength and scale of our Asset-Based Finance (ABF) business, which has grown significantly alongside the rapid expansion of this market," said Daniel Pietrzak, Partner and Global Head of Private Credit at KKR. "We are proud to have become the strategic partner of choice for blue-chip consumer finance businesses like Harley-Davidson Financial Services."

"HDFS' high-quality portfolio and significant asset generation capabilities exemplify the dynamic opportunities we are seeing in the ABF space as businesses continue to transition from capital heavy to capital light to optimize their balance sheets. We look forward to supporting the HDFS team in this long-term strategic partnership," said Steve Sun, Director at KKR. 

"PIMCO, a leading investor in asset-based finance globally, is excited to partner with Harley-Davidson on this transformative deal which builds on our partnership with the iconic motorcycle brand over many years, to bring compelling value to our clients via H-D's high-quality financing arm," said Harin de Silva, Managing Director and Portfolio Manager who chairs PIMCO's Private Strategies Leadership team. "PIMCO has been a long-standing investor in asset-based finance with deep expertise and decades of experience, and this transaction demonstrates our commitment to identifying attractive risk-adjusted returns for our clients within the rapidly evolving private credit landscape."

Strategic Rationale

• Asset-Light Growth: HDFS expects to more efficiently grow its balance sheet and operating income over time following a benefit related to the sale of existing retail loan receivables and release of loan loss reserve in 2025 and subsequent rebasing to reduced operating income reflecting the new asset-light model in 2026. Under the terms of the five-year Forward Flow Agreement, HDFS will retain approximately one-third of annual retail loan originations on its balance sheet and generate new revenue streams through a fixed servicing fee on loans purchased by KKR and PIMCO. The agreement also provides for future retail loan sales to occur at a premium to par.
• Strengthened Offering: Harley-Davidson to retain full control of HDFS while creating a long-term, stable funding mechanism through the support of KKR and PIMCO. Dealers and customers will continue to receive the strong service levels to which they are accustomed without any impact to wholesale loans, consumer credit cards or other offerings.
• Enhanced Capital Allocation Flexibility: Transaction unlocks approximately $1.25 billion of cash for Harley-Davidson after the expected repayment of HDFS debt associated with retail loan receivables. The planned reduction of an additional $450 million of Harley-Davidson debt is expected to strengthen the Company's balance sheet and create strategic optionality to help navigate the current environment, return capital to shareholders and support future demand driving investments.
• Long-Term Value Creation: Transaction values the post-transaction HDFS business at a premium multiple and is expected to reduce Harley-Davidson's overall leverage and perceived risk, which is expected to lower Harley-Davidson's cost of capital on a go-forward basis. This transaction is also expected to significantly increase the future ROE of HDFS while simultaneously maintaining HDFS as a well-capitalized business and reducing credit risk on the Company's balance sheet related to its existing portfolio of receivables.

Transaction Highlights

• HDFS has agreed to sell a 4.9% common equity interest to investment vehicles managed by KKR and PIMCO at approximately 1.75x post-transaction book value.
• HDFS has agreed to sell over $5 billion of existing gross consumer retail loan receivables and residual interests in securitized consumer loan receivables at a premium.
• HDFS expects to use a portion of the proceeds to reduce indebtedness to optimize the post transaction capital structure.
• HDFS' new strategic partners have entered into a 5-year agreement, whereby the partners purchase approximately two-thirds of annual HDFS future retail loan originations at a premium. Under the terms of agreement, HDFS will continue to originate and service retail loans and receive fixed fees for servicing loans sold to strategic partners.

Harley-Davidson and Harley-Davidson Financial Services Advisors

Barclays acted as exclusive financial advisor and Latham & Watkins and Sidley Austin acted as legal advisors for Harley-Davidson.

Harley-Davidson Second Quarter 2025 Earnings Call Information

Harley-Davidson is releasing its second quarter 2025 financial results before market hours today July 30, 2025 and is hosting its previously scheduled earnings audio webcast at 8 a.m. CT, during which the Company will discuss its financial results, this announcement and its outlook on the business. The webcast login and supporting slides can be accessed at http://investor.harley-davidson.com/news-and-events/events-and-presentations. 

About Harley-Davidson

Harley-Davidson, Inc. is the parent company of Harley-Davidson Motor Company and Harley-Davidson Financial Services. Our vision: Building our legend and leading our industry through innovation, evolution and emotion. Our mission: More than building machines, we stand for the timeless pursuit of adventure. Freedom for the soul. Our ambition is to maintain our place as the most desirable motorcycle brand in the world. Since 1903, Harley-Davidson has defined motorcycle culture by delivering a motorcycle lifestyle with distinctive and customizable motorcycles, experiences, motorcycle accessories, riding gear and apparel. Harley-Davidson Financial Services provides financing, insurance and other programs to help get riders on the road. Harley-Davidson also has a controlling interest in LiveWire Group, Inc., the first publicly traded all-electric motorcycle company in the United States. LiveWire is the future in the making for the pursuit of urban adventure and beyond. Drawing on its DNA as an agile disruptor from the lineage of Harley-Davidson and capitalizing on a decade of learnings in the EV sector, LiveWire's ambition is to be the most desirable electric motorcycle brand in the world. Learn more at harley-davidson.com and livewire.com.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

The Company intends that certain matters discussed in this press release are "forward-looking statements" intended to qualify for the safe harbor from liability established by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can generally be identified as such by reference to this footnote or because the context of the statement will include words such as the Company "believes," "anticipates," "expects," "plans," "projects," "may," "will," "estimates," "targets," "intends," "forecasts," "seeks," "sees," "should," "feels," "commits," "assumes," "envisions," or words of similar meaning. Similarly, statements that describe or refer to future expectations, future plans, strategies, objectives, outlooks, targets, guidance, commitments or goals are also forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially, unfavorably or favorably, from those anticipated as of the date of this press release. Certain of such risks and uncertainties are described below. Shareholders, potential investors, and other readers are urged to consider these factors in evaluating the forward-looking statements and are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements included in this press release are only made as of the date of this press release, and the Company disclaims any obligation to publicly update such forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances.

Important factors that could affect future results and cause those results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements include, among others, the Company's ability to: (a) execute its business plans and strategies, including without limitation the Hardwire strategic plan, each of the pillars, and the evolution of LiveWire as a standalone brand; (b) manage supply chain and logistics issues, including without limitation quality issues, unexpected interruptions or price increases caused by supplier volatility, raw material shortages, inflation, war or other hostilities, including the conflict in Ukraine, or natural disasters and longer shipping times and increased logistics costs; (c) manage and predict the impact that new, reinstated or adjusted tariffs may have on the Company's ability to sell products domestically and internationally, and the cost of raw materials and components, including tariffs recently imposed or that may be imposed by the U.S. on foreign goods or rebalancing or other tariffs recently imposed or that may be imposed by foreign countries on U.S. goods; (d) accurately analyze, predict and react to changing market conditions, interest rates, and geopolitical environments, and successfully adjust to shifting global consumer needs and interests; (e) accurately predict the margins of its segments in light of, among other things, tariffs, rebalancing trade measures, inflation, foreign currency exchange rates, the cost associated with product development initiatives and the Company's complex global supply chain; (f) maintain and enhance the value of the Harley-Davidson brand, including detecting and mitigating or remediating the impact of activist collective actions, such as calls for boycotts and other brand-damaging behaviors that could harm the Company's brand or business; (g) manage through changes in general economic and business conditions, including changing capital, credit and retail markets, and the changing domestic and international political environments, including as a result of the conflict in Ukraine; (h) successfully access the capital and/or credit markets on terms that are acceptable to the Company and within its expectations; (i) successfully carry out its global manufacturing and assembly operations; (j) develop and introduce products, services and experiences on a timely basis that the market accepts, that enable the Company to generate desired sales levels and that provide the desired financial returns, including successfully implementing and executing plans to strengthen and grow its leadership position in Grand American Touring, large Cruiser and Trike, and grow its complementary businesses; (k) perform in a manner that enables the Company to benefit from market opportunities while competing against existing and new competitors; (l) manage the impact that prices for and supply of used motorcycles may have on its business, including on retail sales of new motorcycles; (m) prevent, detect and remediate any issues with its motorcycles, or any issues associated with the manufacturing processes to avoid delays in new model launches, recall campaigns, regulatory agency investigations, increased warranty costs or litigation and adverse effects on its reputation and brand strength, and carry out any product programs or recalls within expected costs and timing; (n) successfully manage and reduce costs throughout the business; (o) continue to develop the capabilities of its distributors and dealers, effectively implement changes relating to its dealers and distribution methods, including the Company's dealer footprint, and manage the risks that its dealers may have difficulty obtaining capital and managing through changing economic conditions and consumer demand; (p) realize the expected business benefits from LiveWire operating as a separate public company, which may be affected by, among other things: (i) the ability of LiveWire to execute its plans to develop, produce, market and sell its electric vehicles; (ii) the demand for and consumer willingness to adopt two- and three-wheeled electric vehicles; and (iii) other risks and uncertainties indicated in documents filed with the SEC by the Company or LiveWire Group, Inc., including those risks and uncertainties noted in Risk Factors under Item 1.A of LiveWire Group Inc.'s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K; (q) manage the quality and regulatory non-compliance issues relating to the brake hose assemblies provided to the Company by Proterial Cable America, Inc. in a manner that avoids future quality or non-compliance issues and additional costs or recall expenses that are material; (r) maintain a productive relationship with Hero MotoCorp as a distributor and licensee of the Harley-Davidson brand name; (s) successfully maintain or achieve a manner in which to sell motorcycles in Europe, China, and the Company's Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries that does not subject its motorcycles to incremental tariffs; (t) manage its Thailand corporate and manufacturing operation in a manner that allows the Company to avail itself of preferential free trade agreements and duty rates, and sufficiently lower prices of its motorcycles in certain markets; (u) retain and attract talented employees and leadership and qualified and experienced independent directors for its Board of Directors, eliminate personnel duplication, inefficiencies and complexity throughout the organization, and successfully complete transitions of executives, including the Company's upcoming CEO transition; (v) accurately estimate and adjust to fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates, interest rates and commodity prices; (w) manage the credit quality, the loan servicing and collection activities, and the recovery rates of Harley-Davidson Financial Services' loan portfolio; (x) prevent a ransomware attack or cybersecurity incidents and data privacy breaches and respond to related evolving regulatory requirements; (y) adjust to tax reform, healthcare inflation and reform and pension reform, and successfully estimate the impact of any such reform on the Company's business; (z) manage through the effects inconsistent and unpredictable weather patterns may have on retail sales of motorcycles; (aa) implement and manage enterprise-wide information technology systems, including systems at its manufacturing facilities; (bb) manage changes, prepare for, and respond to evolving requirements in legislative and regulatory environments related to its products, services and operations, including increased environmental, safety, emissions or other regulations; (cc) manage its exposure to product liability claims in a manner that avoids or successfully mitigates the impact of substantial jury verdicts and manage exposure in commercial or contractual disputes; (dd) continue to manage the relationships and agreements that the Company has with its labor unions to help drive long-term competitiveness; (ee) enter into and close third-party investment(s) in HDFS in a manner consistent with the Company's objectives and that does not adversely affect its business; (ff) manage risks related to outsourced functions and use of artificial intelligence; (gg) achieve anticipated results with respect to the Company's preowned motorcycle program, Harley-Davidson Certified, the Company's H-D1 Marketplace, and Apparel and Licensing; (hh) optimize capital allocation in light of the Company's capital allocation priorities; (ii) manage the Company's share repurchase strategy; and (jj) manage issues related to climate change and related regulations.

The Company's ability to sell its motorcycles and related products and services and to meet its financial expectations also depends on the ability of the Company's dealers to sell its motorcycles and related products and services to retail customers. The Company depends on the capability and financial capacity of its dealers to develop and implement effective retail sales plans to create demand for the motorcycles and related products and services they purchase from the Company. In addition, the Company's dealers and distributors may experience difficulties in operating their businesses and selling Harley-Davidson motorcycles and related products and services as a result of weather, economic conditions, or other factors.

HDFS' retail credit losses have normalized in recent quarters to higher levels after a period of historically low levels of credit losses. Further, the Company believes that HDFS's retail credit losses will continue to change over time due to changing consumer credit behavior, macroeconomic conditions, including the impact of inflation and HDFS's efforts to increase prudently structured loan approvals to sub-prime borrowers. In addition, HDFS's efforts to adjust underwriting criteria based on market and economic conditions and the actions that the Company has taken and could take that impact motorcycle values may impact HDFS's retail credit losses.

The Company's operations, demand for its products, and its liquidity could be adversely impacted by changes in tariffs, inflation, work stoppages, facility closures, strikes, natural causes, widespread infectious disease, terrorism, war or other hostilities, including the conflict in Ukraine, or other factors. Refer to Risk Factors under Item 1.A of the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024 filed with the SEC on February 26, 2025 and applicable updates under Item 1.A of the Company's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2025 filed with the SEC on May 6, 2025 for a discussion of additional risk factors and a more complete discussion of some of the cautionary statements noted above.

About KKR

KKR is a leading global investment firm that offers alternative asset management as well as capital markets and insurance solutions. KKR aims to generate attractive investment returns by following a patient and disciplined investment approach, employing world-class people, and supporting growth in its portfolio companies and communities. KKR sponsors investment funds that invest in private equity, credit and real assets and has strategic partners that manage hedge funds. KKR's insurance subsidiaries offer retirement, life and reinsurance products under the management of Global Atlantic Financial Group. References to KKR's investments may include the activities of its sponsored funds and insurance subsidiaries. For additional information about KKR & Co. Inc. (NYSE:KKR), please visit KKR's website at www.kkr.com. For additional information about Global Atlantic Financial Group, please visit Global Atlantic Financial Group's website at www.globalatlantic.com. 

About PIMCO 

PIMCO is a global leader in active fixed income with deep expertise across public and private markets. We invest our clients' capital across a range of fixed income and credit opportunities, drawing upon our decades of experience navigating complex debt markets. Our flexible capital base and deep relationships with issuers have helped us become one of the world's largest providers of traditional and nontraditional solutions for companies that need financing and investors who seek strong risk-adjusted returns.

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SOURCE Harley-Davidson, Inc.