A snapshot of motorcycle and ATV industry share performance across key manufacturers and major global markets at the trading week closure on Friday 21 February 2025. BDN financial editor Roger Willis reports.
USA — TRUMP TROUBLE IS BREWING
Wall Street stocks declined after a survey of purchasing managers undershot expectations, providing the latest signal of flagging confidence in the world’s biggest economy. Anxiety is growing among investors that the new US administration’s mixture of sweeping tariff threats and brutal cuts to the government workforce — the latter orchestrated by proto-Nazi Elon Musk — is knocking consumer and business sentiment.
Market indices clearly reflected these concerns. The blue-chip S&P 500 and Dow Jones Industrial Average respectively fell by 1.7% and 2.5%. S&P’s MidCap 400 finshed 3% down and the tech-heavy NASDAQ Composite also incurred a 2.5% loss.
On a monthly basis, MidCap biker stocks were all in arrears, with Harley-Davidson’s LiveWire electric bike spin-off hardest hit. NASDAQ-listed electric delivery scooter specialist Niu was unique in showing a monthly gain.
| Currency: dollar | Price | Week | Month |
| Harley-Davidson | 26.42 | +2.6% | -6.6% |
| Polaris Industries | 46.53 | +3.2% | -13.5% |
| Textron | 72.34 | +0.1% | -6.3% |
| Niu Technologies | 2.34 | +1.7% | +18.7% |
| LiveWire | 2.33 | -10.7% | -33.6% |
EUROPE — FIGHTING TALK
European markets briefly reached record highs midweek, led by defence stocks, as geopolitical tensions from Trump’s Ukraine stand-off focused investors. But Frankfurt’s Xetra Dax index fell back to close 1% down. The FTSE MIB in Milan fought back to finish 1.2% up.
Despite a 0.9% retreat for the Wiener Börse ATX in Austria, Pierer Mobility shares surged after parent Pierer Industrie had its restructuring plans approved by the Wels Regional Court, potentially permitting KTM to resume motorcycle manufacturing in the coming month. A creditors’ vote to also approve the plan if 30% of total debts somewhere around €600m are settled by the end of May was scheduled to take place 25 February.
| Currency: euro | Price | Week | Month |
| BMW | 82.58 | -0.5% | +4.7% |
| Volkswagen | 102.40 | -1.2% | +2.8% |
| Pierer Mobility | 24.00 | +20.9% | +27% |
| Piaggio Group | 2.24 | +2.3% | +6.2% |
JAPAN — HONDA ON THE BACK FOOT
Tokyo and Osaka’s key Nikkei 225 market index fell by 1%, following rumours that the Bank of Japan was about to raise its base interest rate. Separately, Honda’s share price dropped sharply, after any revival of the company’s putative Nissan takeover seemed unlikely unless Nissan’s CEO steps aside.
| Currency: yen | Price | Week | Month |
| Honda | 1380 | -6.1% | -6.7% |
| Yamaha | 1238 | +3.2% | -4.8% |
| Suzuki | 1880 | -2.8% | +0.7% |
| Kawasaki | 7862 | +9.6% | +14.4% |
INDIA — THE PARTY’S OVER
Mumbai’s S&P BSE Sensex 30 and NSE Nifty 50 market indices continued to decline, respectvely 0.8% and 0.6% down in the past week, as India’s economy hits the buffers. Overseas investors are now being advised to avoid Indian equities as corporate profits are set to shrink and economic growth to decelerate rapidly. Among leading indigenous motorcycle manufacturers, only Royal Enfield parent Eicher accrued a share price gain.
| Currency: rupee | Price | Week | Month |
| Hero MotoCorp | 3852.60 | -0.3% | -4.9% |
| Bajaj Auto | 8506.05 | -0.1% | +1.2% |
| TVS Motor | 2324.95 | -3.6% | +2.4% |
| Eicher Motors | 4962.45 | +5.5% | -4.7% |
| Mahindra | 2669.35 | -9.3% | -4.7% |
CHINA — JOKER IN CHARGE
Chinese president Xi Jinping amused himself by congratulating Donald Trump for kissing Vladimir Putin’s arse and probably surrendering the Ukraine. China’s market indices kept up their robust behaviour. Shanghai’s all-share SSE Composite and the blue-chip CSI 300 both closed 1% up. Chinese bike producer CFMoto has now reportedly made a significant contribution to the €900m KTM revival bale-out sponsored by more than 20 parties.
| Currency: yuan | Price | Week | Month |
| Qianjiang | 19.38 | N/A | -1.8% |
| Zongshen | 25.97 | -5.4% | +15.9% |
| Sundiro | 3.69 | +0.3% | +8.8% |
| CETC (Jialing) | 13.28 | +1% | +4.2% |
| Qianli (Lifan) | 9.05 | +13.8% | +42.3% |
| Loncin | 11.83 | +7.4% | +17.2% |
| Linhai | 9.40 | N/A | +3.6% |
| Guangzhou Auto Group | 9.05 | -0.2% | +5.2% |
| CFMoto | 194.88 | -2.2% | +0.9% |
| Xinri E-Vehicle | 10.35 | +0.2% | +2.1% |