Rumormill: Is Harley-Davidson the target of a takeover bid?

We're not sure if this report should be filed in the Good News folder or the Bad. Harley-Davidson shares jumped an impressive six percent today to their highest level in more than four months. Why? Apparently, the increased activity was spurred by speculation of a possible takeover by private equity firm Kohlberg Kravis Roberts.
We're anything but experts on the inner workings of Wall Street, but it seems that the hot action is on short-term March and April call options, which indicates that many traders are betting on a leveraged buyout of the historic American motorcycle manufacturer.

Naturally, neither KKR nor Harley-Davidson is commenting on the matter, though neither party has declined the rumors outright. We'll keep our virtual ears to the ground, and if we hear anything more, you'll all be the first to know.

[Source: Reuters]

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