Harley-Davidson Inc. stuck with a cautious outlook for 2019 on Tuesday that indicated its struggles with long-term competitive problems even as President Trump changed tune on the company, promising to stand up for it in global trade talks.
Shares in the Milwaukee-based firm, buffeted by Trump's rows with Europe and China over tariffs, surged as much as 4 percent after the president called the European Union's treatment of the company "unfair" and vowed to reciprocate.
The company also posted profit for the first quarter that was more than 30 cents per share ahead of expectations, but reported continuing declines in sales that analysts said did not change an overall difficult picture for Harley.