/A%20close-up%20of%20the%20United%20Rentals%20sign%20on%20equipment%20by%20eugen%20via%20Adobe%20Stock.jpeg)
United Rentals, Inc. (URI), headquartered in Stamford, Connecticut, functions as an equipment rental company. Valued at $70.3 billion by market cap, the company offers a wide range of construction and industrial equipment for rent, sale, and servicing, including general and specialized machinery, tools, safety gear, storage solutions, power and climate control systems, and repair and maintenance services. The rental giant is expected to announce its fiscal second-quarter earnings for 2026 in the near future.
Ahead of the event, analysts expect URI to report a profit of $11.68 per share on a diluted basis, up 11.6% from $10.47 per share in the year-ago quarter. The company missed the consensus estimates in three of the last four quarters while surpassing the forecast on another occasion.
For the full year, analysts expect URI to report EPS of $47.26, up 12.4% from $42.06 in fiscal 2025. Its EPS is expected to rise 12.2% year over year to $53.04 in fiscal 2027.
URI stock has outperformed the S&P 500 Index’s ($SPX) 19.9% gains over the past 52 weeks, with shares up 49.2% during this period. Similarly, it outperformed the State Street Industrial Select Sector SPDR ETF’s (XLI) 24.5% gains over the same time frame.
URI’s outperformance drove a strong market reaction on robust demand from construction, infrastructure, and specialty rentals. CEO Matthew Flannery cited healthy growth in general and specialty segments, with power, mining, infrastructure, and data centers leading. Additionally, $45 million in “surgical” restructuring from branch consolidation and labor management supported costs. The company kept capital disciplined, boosted fleet utilization, and made about $400 million in small, strategic specialty acquisitions. Moreover, Flannery sees multiyear tailwinds from large projects.
On Apr. 22, URI reported its Q1 results, and its shares skyrocketed 22.9% in the following trading session. Its adjusted EPS of $9.71 surpassed Wall Street expectations of $9.01. The company’s revenue was $4 billion, topping Wall Street forecasts of $3.9 billion. URI expects full-year revenue in the range of $16.9 billion to $17.4 billion.
Analysts’ consensus opinion on URI stock is reasonably bullish, with a “Moderate Buy” rating overall. Out of 20 analysts covering the stock, 12 advise a “Strong Buy” rating, two suggest a “Moderate Buy,” five give a “Hold,” and one recommends a “Strong Sell.” While URI currently trades above its mean price target of $1,100.05, the Street-high price target of $1,275 suggests an upside potential of 13.6%.
