U-Haul (UHAL) Driving the Urban Exodus

Over the last year, we’ve seen various trends flourish related to buying/selling houses and moving. On a 365-day moving average:

• Generic Moving Mentions: +13% YoY
• Buying a Home: +23% YoY
• Urban Exodus (mentions specifying a move from the city to a more rural environment): +38% YoY

Real Estate companies (RDFN, Z) have done well as a result, but one of the biggest beneficiaries has been the moving company U-Haul (UHAL).
At the start of 2021, UHAL Purchase Intent Mentions hit an all-time high on the 365-day moving average trendline, currently +18% YoY.
The strength of the underlying data matches reports of high demand for U-Haul vehicles in California, Oregon, and Washington State. Shares of UHAUL have gained more than +120% from the 2020 lows.