Thor Industries Inc is a manufacturer of recreational vehicles or RVs. It sells these vehicles through market-leading brands like Airstream, Heartland, Jayco, Keystone, and KZ. Thor is among the largest manufacturers of RVs in America and has a close-to 50% market share. The post-pandemic world may prefer driving and vacationing in off-beat places away from the crowds. Investors who are interested in the travel and leisure industry but want to avoid traditional sectors like hotels, amusement parks, etc. may want to consider the RV industry as an alternative. Thor Industries seems to be well-placed to capture the post-pandemic self-travel trend.
A Brief Background About Thor Industries
Thor Industries was founded back in 1983. The name Thor is the combination of the letters of the two founders of the company, Wade Thompson and Peter Orthwein. Mr. Wade and Mr. Peter acquired Hi-Lo Trailer Company and then Airstream to set Thor Industries rolling. Then in 1982, Thor Industries acquired Canadian company General Coach. With business expanding, Thor Industries went public in 1984 and listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker THO. In 1986, Thor Industries was recognized on the list of Forbes 200 best small companies in America. Over 1988 to 2012, Thor Industries expanded into the small bus manufacturing sector with the acquisition of ElDorado Motor Corp and National Coach in 1991. By 1994, Thor Industries was the second-largest manufacturer of RVs in North America. Since 2012, the company has continued with acquisitions. In 2018, the company acquired German RV maker Hymer which subsequently made Thor the largest RV manufacturer in the world.
Best Recreational Vehicle Stocks
Thor Industries’ stock closed at $119.73 on 3rd February 2021. The stock, at the time, was trading at a 1.37% dividend yield. Thor Industries has been on an uptrend over the preceding month with the stock rising 27% in a short time. A peer of Thor Industries is Winnebago Industries. Its stock closed at $68.23 on 3rd February 2021. The stock traded at a modest 0.7% dividend yield. Winnebago is up 11% on a 1-month basis.
