Polaris posts strong quarter, but shares fall

ATV and motorcycle maker Polaris Industries posted strong second-quarter results Wednesday. However, it still missed analysts' expectations, and the company's shares were down 5 percent in midday trading.

Profit rose 4 percent to $100.9 million, or $1.49 a share, and revenue jumped 11 percent to a record $1.12 billion.

On average, Wall Street analysts expected revenue of $1.16 billion and profit of $1.58 a share.

In a conference call to analysts Wednesday morning, CEO Scott Wine said executives were pleased with the results.

Polaris saw a strong jolt of sales for its motorcycles and three-wheeler Slingshot roadster and from last months' expansion and new product launches in the nation of India.

Wine told analysts Tuesday that company sales of Polaris' nostalgic and recently reintroduced "Indian" brand of motorcycles was "obviously a home run."

Polaris bought the then-struggling 112-year-old Indian motorcycle company in 2011. It then spent millions rebuilding the company and during the last two years launched and heavily promoted both revived and newly designed Indian bike models to long time fans.

Motorcycle sales rose 57 percent to $162 million during the most recent quarter.

Though off season, snowmobile sales grew 217 percent to $19.3 million during the second quarter. Polaris' largest product division — off-road ATVs and side-by-side vehicles — grew just 2 percent to $688 million during the quarter.

The company's new Global Adjacent Markets division, which sells electric cars, utility mobiles and military products, saw sales fall 3 percent to $66 million, despite a slight boost in military product orders.

The Medina-based company noted foreign currency translations accounted for a 4 percent drop in international sales. Polaris also had about $9 million in expenses and shipping delays that stemmed from the overhauling of its motorcycle painting operations at its plant in Spirit Lake, Iowa. Wine called the problem "immensely frustrating," but said the factory was making strides in quickly meeting increased demand for popular two-tone paint jobs.

Polaris raised its bottom earnings guidance and said it now expects 2015 profits of $7.32 to $7.42 per share, which is 10 to 12 percent above 2014's result. It previously forecast that per-share profits would range from $7.27 to $7.42 this year. Sales are expected to grow 10 to 12 percent in 2015. That's up from the 9 to 12 percent growth previously forecast in April.