United Rentals (NYSE:URI) Rating Increased to Strong-Buy at Zacks Research

Key Points

• Zacks Research upgraded United Rentals from “hold” to “strong buy,” while the broader analyst consensus remains “Moderate Buy” with a $1,226.50 price target.
• United Rentals reported strong quarterly results, with EPS of $12.76 beating estimates of $11.53 and revenue of $4.41 billion rising 11.8% year over year.
• Despite bullish analyst sentiment and substantial institutional ownership, the stock fell 3.4% and is trading near its 52-week high; an executive also sold $1.7 million of shares, signaling potential profit-taking.

United Rentals (NYSE:URI - Get Free Report) was upgraded by equities researchers at Zacks Research from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Monday,Zacks.com reports.

URI has been the subject of a number of other reports. Truist Financial raised their price objective on shares of United Rentals from $1,421.00 to $1,466.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, July 24th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on shares of United Rentals from $1,245.00 to $1,355.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Friday. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of United Rentals from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a research report on Thursday, July 23rd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price objective on United Rentals from $1,100.00 to $1,235.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Friday, July 24th. Finally, KeyCorp reaffirmed an "overweight" rating and issued a $1,350.00 price objective on shares of United Rentals in a research note on Friday. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have issued a Buy rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $1,226.50.

United Rentals Stock Down 3.4%

United Rentals stock opened at $1,089.29 on Monday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.70, a current ratio of 0.76 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.38. The company has a market capitalization of $67.80 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.16, a P/E/G ratio of 1.46 and a beta of 1.79. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $1,059.71 and a 200-day moving average price of $922.42. United Rentals has a twelve month low of $701.59 and a twelve month high of $1,177.67.

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

Insider Activity at United Rentals

In related news, EVP William E. Grace sold 1,500 shares of the company'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 value of $1,699,725.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 6,062 shares in the company, valued at $6,869,155.30. This represents a 19.84% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.47% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

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

Trending Headlines about United Rentals

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

• Positive Sentiment: United Rentals posted a record second quarter, with revenue of approximately $4.4 billion, up about 12% year over year. The company benefited from stronger rental activity, better fleet productivity and solid specialty-equipment demand, while raising its 2026 outlook. United Rentals Growth Outlook After a Record-Setting Q2
• Positive Sentiment: Quarterly earnings of $12.76 per share exceeded the $11.53 consensus estimate, and revenue also topped expectations. Analysts have generally maintained bullish views, with several price targets above recent trading levels and a reported average target of $1,226.50. United Rentals Analyst and Earnings Information
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks has highlighted URI as a high-rated growth and momentum stock following its earnings-fueled rally. However, these rankings largely reinforce existing sentiment rather than provide a new company-specific catalyst. Is URI Stock Worth Buying After Its Strong Earnings-Fueled Rally?
• Negative Sentiment: Executive Vice President William Grace sold 1,500 shares for approximately $1.7 million, reducing his direct holdings by 19.84%. Broader data shows seven insider sales and no purchases over the past six months, potentially signaling profit-taking after URI’s substantial year-to-date advance. United Rentals SEC Insider Filing
• Negative Sentiment: With URI trading near its 52-week high at roughly 26 times earnings, expectations are elevated. Investors may be taking profits or seeking confirmation that construction and industrial rental demand can support the company’s higher 2026 guidance.

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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