Polaris Reports 2015 Fourth Quarter And Full Year Results. For Full Year, Motorcycle Segment Sales Increased 67 Percent.

Polaris7Full year 2015 net income was $455.4 million, or $6.75 per diluted share, in-line with Company revised expectations. Sales for full year 2015 increased 5% year-over-year to $4,719.3 million. Excluding currency impacts, sales increased 9%. Polaris announced 2016 guidance reflecting continued currency market volatility and ongoing weak industry demand; expects full year 2016 net income to be in the range of $6.20 to $6.80 per diluted share, with sales in the range of down 2% to up 3% compared to 2015. Fourth quarter 2015 net income was $110.7 million, down 18% on 13% lower sales primarily due to weak retail sales in the North American oil and gas regions. All businesses increased market share in North America for 2015 despite a weak powersports industry. North American dealer inventory finished 2015 up 5%, in-line with Company guidance; ORV dealer inventory was down 4% year over year, lower than implied guidance.

1polarisPolaris motorcycle segment sales increased 67 percent compared to the prior year. North American consumer retail demand for the Polaris motorcycle segment, including Victory®, Indian Motorcycle® and Slingshot®, was up low-single digits percent during the 2015 fourth quarter while the overall motorcycle industry retail sales, 900cc and above, declined high-single digits percent in the 2015 fourth quarter. During the 2015 fourth quarter, the Company began retailing its newest addition to the Indian Motorcycle® line-up, the new 2016 Indian® Scout Sixty™, which shares many elements of the award-winning Indian® Scout® released in 2014, but starting at a sub-$9,000 price point that brings industry-leading mid-sized performance within reach of every rider.

2PolarisAdditionally, interest in the new Slingshot® moto-roadster continued strong as the Company completed its first full year of retailing the new moto-roadster which far exceeded the Company’s expectations for sales and profitability. Product availability for Indian Motorcycle® and Slingshot® improved considerably in the 2015 fourth quarter as throughput at the Company’s Spirit Lake, Iowa motorcycle plant increased and the new paint facility purchased in Spearfish, South Dakota, began production. Victory Motorcycles® retail sales were down mid-teens percent in the 2015 fourth quarter primarily due to continued low product availability. For the fourth quarter and full year 2015, Polaris’ motorcycle business gained a significant amount of market share.

Off-Road Vehicle (“ORV”) and Snowmobile segment sales, including their respective PG&A related sales, decreased 18 percent from the fourth quarter of 2014 to $862.0 million. ORV vehicle sales decreased 20 percent, snowmobile vehicle sales were down 25 percent and ORV and snowmobile related PG&A sales, combined, decreased five percent in the 2015 fourth quarter compared to the same period last year. For the full year 2015, Polaris ORV and snowmobile segment sales decreased one percent compared to full year 2014.

19 Responses to “Polaris Reports 2015 Fourth Quarter And Full Year Results. For Full Year, Motorcycle Segment Sales Increased 67 Percent.”


  1. 1 calif phil Jan 26th, 2016 at 8:52 am

    Way to go Polaris.

  2. 2 takehikes Jan 26th, 2016 at 9:44 am

    and every one of them was a piece out of the MOCo’s hide. I’d buy a Scout today if I was shopping.

  3. 3 Matt W. Jan 26th, 2016 at 10:49 am

    No surprise that their motorcycle sales are up but I am especially impressed with how popular the Slingshot has become. Polaris took quite a risk with this product and it’s nice to see their innovation paying off.

  4. 4 Woody's Jan 26th, 2016 at 11:10 am

    Excellent as a growth %, where do they stand as a market segment % ?

  5. 5 Freddy Manson Jan 26th, 2016 at 11:33 am

    For those going in March to Daytona Bike Week. Look at the number of used Harleys for sale in front of the Indian dealership on Beach Street. Many more that the number of new Indians for sale on the showroom. Yes, most Indian buyers are or were Harley riders.

  6. 6 Joshua Jan 26th, 2016 at 11:40 am

    Great sales, but financially Polaris and Harley are suffering because of the high dollar making their sales abroad less profitable when translated in US dollars. As the opposite, Triumph, Ducati, Royal Enfield, etc, benefit because their exports are cheaper. Tough time ahead for exporting American companies. HOG stock is down 39%, PII down 46% for the last 12 months! Ouch for investors.

  7. 7 Pat h Jan 26th, 2016 at 12:44 pm

    It’s amazing that people buy the big indians, possibly the ugliest motorcycle ever made.

  8. 8 Donnie Jan 26th, 2016 at 1:15 pm

    Pat. H. If you think that the big Indians are ugly, the big Harleys are uglier.

  9. 9 richards Jan 26th, 2016 at 3:46 pm

    Woody, Good question. Maybe someone from Polaris would be willing to divulge market share and/or units. I’ve asked mr. paydaya (spelling?) frequently but get no response. I wonder why polaris is not forthcoming on these stats?

  10. 10 Bruce Jan 26th, 2016 at 4:17 pm

    Simple. Polaris doesn’t want to give info to Harley and other competitors about which models sell the most.

  11. 11 Woody's Jan 26th, 2016 at 5:52 pm

    @richards-because they’re very good businessmen. The stats that look best are the ones to give 😉
    A brand new car dealer that sells 2 cars the first month they’re open and 12 the second can say their sales are up 600% . If the norm for established dealers in the area is 100 cars a month, you’d be crazy not to play up the 600% and a relatively new business always has amazing growth compared to itself. Not making fun of Indian, they’re growing well. I’d just like to know where they are compared to others as well as themselves.

  12. 12 Steve The Producer Johann Jan 26th, 2016 at 5:58 pm

    Richards,

    To get real number of units sold you need to be a stock holder then you can get the Annual Report which explains in detail how many units they sell. As a stock holder myself, it is very interesting reading and as for units sold they still sell a lot more Off Road Vehicles as compared to Cycles.

  13. 13 Roberto Jan 26th, 2016 at 6:34 pm

    I see viis and big indians on the street.no scouts….

  14. 14 richards Jan 26th, 2016 at 7:11 pm

    Steve, I’ll see if I can find out through a stockholder. The units are really just a curiosity but I’d like to know how they’re doing against Harley and the imports. Thanks for the advice.

  15. 15 richards Jan 26th, 2016 at 7:12 pm

    S teve, Thanks for the heads up. I’ll try to find out through a stockholder. I’m just curious…

  16. 16 BobS Jan 26th, 2016 at 7:12 pm

    I’m a stock holder too and I don’t mind Polaris not releasing any info they don’t have to, so go ahead and blame me, and my fellow owners, for not forcing them to release numbers. If you want a ballpark guess to satisfy your own curiosity try this: Their motorcycle division generated 700 mil in round numbers. Their bikes retail for between 8k and about 23k, with the che cheaper units presumably selling more. So wholesale range is….6k to 19k??? An average that’s slightly skewered towards the cheaper models would be about 11-12k??? They’re currently moving close to 60k units a year. Give or take 10k units.

  17. 17 richards Jan 26th, 2016 at 7:14 pm

    Bob, Your methodology sound logical….

  18. 18 Woody's Jan 28th, 2016 at 9:49 am

    @ Bob, agreed, I simply wish the actual number was disclosed-no sense in having to guess something that’s already known. Hopefully some enterprising industry reporter, blogger, whatever will do the research and give us a few pie charts with market shares of the big players. In the meantime, I can go back to my year-end tax paperwork ☺

  19. 19 Blackmax Jan 30th, 2016 at 12:37 pm

    Can’t argue with a winning formula
    And regardless of what anybody thinks
    It Is winning, slowly but surly it is winning.
    Victory certainly is not going to do it alone.
    Indian might not do it alone.
    But put them both together & the market share just keeps getting bigger & bigger
    They build a bike that you DON’T have to spend in the the aftermarket to make it run correctly
    Except for exhaust, air cleaner & maybe a fuel controller
    You don;t have to do much of anything to them
    People appreciate then when you are spending $20,000 to $30,000 already

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Cyril Huze