United Rentals, Inc. $URI Shares Bought by Empowered Funds LLC

Key Points

• Empowered Funds increased its United Rentals stake by 79.7% in the first quarter, while other major investors also expanded or initiated positions. Institutional investors and hedge funds collectively own 96.26% of URI shares.
• United Rentals reported quarterly earnings of $12.76 per share and revenue of $4.41 billion, exceeding analyst estimates and marking 11.8% year-over-year revenue growth. Analysts maintain a “Moderate Buy” consensus rating with an average price target of $1,226.50.
• The company declared a quarterly dividend of $1.97 per share, equivalent to a $7.88 annualized payout and a 0.7% yield. Shares recently traded near $1,058, down 3.0%, while an executive sold 1,500 shares for approximately $1.7 million.

Empowered Funds LLC lifted its stake in United Rentals, Inc. (NYSE:URI - Free Report) by 79.7% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 18,017 shares of the construction company's stock after buying an additional 7,990 shares during the period. Empowered Funds LLC's holdings in United Rentals were worth $13,126,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in United Rentals during the 4th quarter worth approximately $978,017,000. Corient Private Wealth LLC increased its stake in United Rentals by 1,667.4% during the fourth quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC now owns 343,965 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $278,378,000 after purchasing an additional 324,503 shares during the last quarter. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. increased its stake in United Rentals by 3,459.3% during the fourth quarter. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. now owns 196,688 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $159,184,000 after purchasing an additional 191,162 shares during the last quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership acquired a new stake in shares of United Rentals during the fourth quarter worth $102,945,000. Finally, Victory Capital Management Inc. lifted its position in shares of United Rentals by 103.7% in the 4th quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 231,018 shares of the construction company's stock worth $186,967,000 after buying an additional 117,584 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 96.26% of the company's stock.

United Rentals Stock Down 3.0%

United Rentals stock opened at $1,058.05 on Thursday. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $1,062.17 and a 200-day simple moving average of $923.39. The firm has a market capitalization of $65.85 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.41, a P/E/G ratio of 1.41 and a beta of 1.79. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.38, a quick ratio of 0.70 and a current ratio of 0.76. United Rentals, Inc. has a one year low of $701.59 and a one year high of $1,177.67.

United Rentals (NYSE:URI - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 21st. The construction company reported $12.76 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $11.53 by $1.23. The firm had revenue of $4.41 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.22 billion. United Rentals had a net margin of 15.67% and a return on equity of 31.72%. United Rentals's quarterly revenue was up 11.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm posted $10.47 EPS. As a group, equities analysts expect that United Rentals, Inc. will post 48.35 earnings per share for the current year.

United Rentals Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, August 26th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, August 12th will be paid a $1.97 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, August 12th. This represents a $7.88 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.7%. United Rentals's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 18.92%.

Insider Buying and Selling at United Rentals

In other news, EVP William E. Grace sold 1,500 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, July 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,133.15, for a total transaction of $1,699,725.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 6,062 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,869,155.30. The trade was a 19.84% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.47% of the company's stock.

Key Headlines Impacting United Rentals

Here are the key news stories impacting United Rentals this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research upgraded URI from “Hold” to “Strong Buy,” adding to the positive analyst sentiment following the company’s strong quarterly results. Zacks Research
• Positive Sentiment: United Rentals reported record second-quarter revenue of approximately $4.41 billion, up 11.8% year over year, while earnings per share of $12.76 exceeded the $11.53 analyst consensus. Strong rental activity, improved fleet productivity and specialty-equipment demand helped drive the results. The company also raised its 2026 outlook, supporting the case for continued growth. United Rentals Growth Outlook After a Record-Setting Q2
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks also listed United Rentals among its top momentum and Strong Buy stocks. Analysts remain broadly constructive, with 15 Buy ratings and one Sell rating, although the stock’s strong year-to-date advance has increased expectations. Zacks Strong Buy Momentum List
• Neutral Sentiment: United Rentals declared a quarterly dividend of $1.97 per share, or $7.88 annualized, representing a modest 0.7% yield. The payment reinforces shareholder returns but is unlikely to be a major short-term catalyst.
• Negative Sentiment: Executive Vice President William Grace sold 1,500 shares for approximately $1.7 million, reducing his direct ownership by 19.84%. While one insider sale does not establish a trend, it may contribute to profit-taking concerns after the rally. SEC Insider Sale Filing
• Negative Sentiment: URI trades at a relatively elevated valuation, making the shares sensitive to any slowdown in construction, industrial spending or rental demand. Investors may be locking in gains while assessing whether the raised outlook can justify the stock’s premium valuation.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts have recently commented on URI shares. Raymond James Financial reaffirmed an "outperform" rating and issued a $1,275.00 price target on shares of United Rentals in a report on Wednesday, June 10th. UBS Group raised their target price on shares of United Rentals from $1,300.00 to $1,350.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, July 23rd. BNP Paribas Exane upgraded United Rentals from a "neutral" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $1,320.00 target price for the company in a research note on Monday, June 29th. Wall Street Zen upgraded United Rentals from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Saturday, July 25th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein set a $903.00 target price on United Rentals and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Thursday, April 9th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have given a Buy rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, United Rentals has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $1,226.50.

About United Rentals

United Rentals, Inc NYSE: URI is a leading equipment rental company headquartered in Stamford, Connecticut. The firm provides rental solutions and related services to construction, industrial, commercial, and municipal customers. Its business model centers on providing access to a broad fleet of equipment on a short-term or long-term basis, enabling customers to avoid the capital expenditure of ownership and to scale equipment use to match project needs.

The company's product and service offerings span general construction equipment and a range of specialty categories, including aerial work platforms, earthmoving and excavation machines, material handling equipment, pumps, power and HVAC systems, trench and shoring solutions, and tools.

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