U-Haul (NYSE:UHAL) Shares Gap Down - Should You Sell?

Key Points

• U-Haul shares gapped down from a prior close of $67.19 to open at $63.52, later trading near $63.48 on relatively light volume.
• Analyst sentiment remains cautiously positive, with a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an $85 price target, despite one sell rating.
• The company missed quarterly earnings expectations, reporting $0.58 per share versus the $0.85 consensus estimate. U-Haul also trades at a very high price-to-earnings ratio of about 455, highlighting valuation risk.

U-Haul Holding Company (NYSE:UHAL - Get Free Report)'s share price gapped down before the market opened on Wednesday . The stock had previously closed at $67.19, but opened at $63.52. U-Haul shares last traded at $63.4840, with a volume of 864 shares changing hands.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

UHAL has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Citizens Jmp initiated coverage on shares of U-Haul in a research report on Wednesday, July 15th. They set a "mkt outperform" rating and a $90.00 price target on the stock. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of U-Haul from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Saturday, August 8th. Citigroup started coverage on U-Haul in a report on Wednesday, July 15th. They set an "outperform" rating on the stock. Finally, Weiss Ratings upgraded U-Haul from a "sell (d)" rating to a "sell (d+)" rating in a research report on Friday, July 24th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, one has given a Buy rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $85.00.

U-Haul Trading Down 0.4%

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.04, a current ratio of 1.77 and a quick ratio of 1.57. The business has a fifty day moving average of $70.34 and a 200-day moving average of $58.89. The stock has a market capitalization of $12.38 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 454.89 and a beta of 1.08.

U-Haul (NYSE:UHAL - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 5th. The company reported $0.58 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.85 by ($0.27). U-Haul had a net margin of 1.05% and a return on equity of 0.81%. The business had revenue of $1.68 billion during the quarter. On average, equities analysts anticipate that U-Haul Holding Company will post 1.32 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Trading of U-Haul

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. CX Institutional acquired a new position in U-Haul in the second quarter worth approximately $56,000. Brevan Howard Capital Management LP acquired a new stake in shares of U-Haul during the 3rd quarter valued at $218,000. Shay Capital LLC acquired a new stake in shares of U-Haul during the 3rd quarter valued at $257,000. Clearbridge Investments LLC boosted its stake in shares of U-Haul by 28.8% during the 4th quarter. Clearbridge Investments LLC now owns 6,700 shares of the company's stock worth $338,000 after acquiring an additional 1,500 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Occudo Quantitative Strategies LP acquired a new position in shares of U-Haul in the 3rd quarter worth $349,000. 3.63% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About U-Haul

U-Haul NYSE: UHAL is a leading provider of do-it-yourself moving and storage solutions in North America. The company offers a comprehensive suite of products and services that includes the rental of trucks, trailers and towing equipment, as well as portable moving containers known as U-Box. In addition to vehicle rentals, U-Haul supplies customers with moving essentials such as boxes, packing materials and hitch installations, ensuring an integrated moving experience. The company also operates self-storage facilities under the U-Haul Storage brand, catering to both short-term and long-term needs.

Founded in 1945 by Leonard Shoen in Ridgefield, Washington, U-Haul has expanded its footprint through a mix of corporate-owned centers and independent dealer locations.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.