Earning Preview: U-Haul revenue is expected to increase by 6.15%, and institutional views are cautiously positive

Earnings Agent01-28

Abstract

U-Haul will release its quarterly results on February 04, 2026, Post Market. This preview synthesizes the company’s last quarter performance, current-quarter forecasts, and recent institutional commentary to frame expectations around revenue, margins, and earnings per share.

Market Forecast

Market expectations point to U-Haul’s current quarter Revenue at USD 1.44 billion with an estimated year-over-year increase of 6.15%, while EBIT is forecast at USD 69.11 million with an estimated year-over-year decline of 32.92%, and EPS is projected at USD -0.03 with an estimated year-over-year decline of 106.25%. The last report indicated gross profit margin of 32.72% and net profit margin of 6.14%; the current quarter’s margin path is expected to be pressured by softer self-moving demand and ongoing fleet and property costs. The main business highlight remains self-moving equipment rentals, complemented by self-storage, where utilization and pricing are key variables. The most promising segment is self-storage, with recent revenue of USD 246.30 million and rising contribution driven by sites coming online and pricing discipline year over year.

Last Quarter Review

U-Haul’s previous quarter delivered Revenue of USD 1.72 billion, gross profit margin of 32.72%, GAAP net profit attributable to the parent company of USD 106.00 million, net profit margin of 6.14%, and adjusted EPS of USD 0.49, with revenue up 3.73% year over year and EPS down 46.15% year over year. A key highlight was resilient rental and ancillary revenues despite a sequential slowdown, reflecting disciplined cost control and stable fleet utilization. Main business performance was led by self-moving equipment rentals at USD 1.11 billion, self-storage at USD 246.30 million, and self-help moving and storage products and services at USD 89.83 million, supported by insurance-related income and other revenue of USD 177.03 million, providing diversification; segment-level YoY figures indicate modest single-digit growth overall.

Current Quarter Outlook

Self-Moving Equipment Rentals

Self-moving equipment rentals are the largest revenue driver and shape near-term earnings sensitivity. The forecasted revenue growth of 6.15% suggests demand stabilization, yet EBIT compression points to an unfavorable mix and cost absorption related to fleet refresh, maintenance, and logistics. Price competition in certain metro areas and normalization of post-pandemic moving patterns limit pricing flexibility. The quarter’s operating narrative will likely hinge on how effectively management balances truck availability with utilization, controlling downtime and maintenance intensity while keeping service levels adequate across peak and shoulder weeks. Any commentary on targeted geographic inventory repositioning or dynamic rate management could influence expectations for margin durability through the fiscal year.

Self-Storage

Self-storage remains the most promising business for multi-quarter expansion, supported by new facility openings and maturing properties that reach steady-state occupancy. Revenue of USD 246.30 million last quarter underscores a growing base, and year-over-year momentum typically reflects a combination of price actions and improved unit turnover. This quarter, occupancy trends, street rates, and churn will be pivotal, especially against pockets of competitive supply across Sun Belt and suburban corridors. Margin resilience in storage can counter volatility in rentals, but incremental staffing, marketing, and property taxes may offset some gains; management’s color on development pipeline cadence and timing of certificate-of-occupancy milestones will be crucial for investors monitoring forward growth profiles. A stable uptick in same-store revenue would help validate the thesis that storage is a compounding engine.

Factors Most Impacting the Stock Price This Quarter

Margin trajectory is at the center of the stock’s reaction function, with consensus looking for revenue growth but a notable EBIT decline and negative EPS. The spread between revenue growth and earnings deceleration will draw attention to cost structure details, including fleet depreciation schedules, insurance claims, and property taxes. Commentary around capital allocation—especially balancing fleet investments against storage property development—will be parsed for signals on cash generation and leverage. Investors will also focus on operational KPIs such as utilization rates, average rental duration, average daily rate, and storage occupancy; deviations from historical seasonality could recalibrate expectations for the next two quarters. If management provides clarity on cost normalization or identifies discrete efficiencies in maintenance and logistics, sentiment could improve despite headline EPS pressure.

Analyst Opinions

Recent institutional commentary tilts cautiously positive, emphasizing stable demand indicators in rentals and the secular expansion opportunity in storage, while acknowledging margin pressure in the near term. Analysts highlight the durability of the self-storage buildout and the benefits of maturing facilities, suggesting the storage business can underpin revenue growth even as rental margins fluctuate. The majority view expects U-Haul to meet or slightly exceed top-line expectations but remain below historical margin profiles given cost inputs, resulting in a constructive stance on multi-quarter fundamentals. In previews, the bullish side underscores the company’s diversified revenue mix and maturing storage assets as supports for outlook stability; they point to the forecasted 6.15% year-over-year revenue increase and frame EBIT weakness as transitional. The minority cautious view focuses on negative EPS guidance and potential competitive rate pressures in self-moving, but this is outweighed by the majority’s thesis that operating execution and the storage pipeline can sustain revenue trajectory. Overall, the prevailing opinion stresses watching margin cadence, utilization, and storage occupancy to validate recovery pathways through the calendar year.

Disclaimer: Investing carries risk. This is not financial advice. The above content should not be regarded as an offer, recommendation, or solicitation on acquiring or disposing of any financial products, any associated discussions, comments, or posts by author or other users should not be considered as such either. It is solely for general information purpose only, which does not consider your own investment objectives, financial situations or needs. TTM assumes no responsibility or warranty for the accuracy and completeness of the information, investors should do their own research and may seek professional advice before investing.

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