United Rentals (NYSE:URI) Announces Earnings Results, Misses Estimates By $1.76 EPS

United Rentals (NYSE:URI) released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday. The construction company reported $9.71 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $11.47 by ($1.76), FiscalAI reports. United Rentals had a net margin of 15.49% and a return on equity of 30.35%. The business had revenue of $3.99 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.20 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $8.86 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 7.2% on a year-over-year basis.

United Rentals Trading Up 19.4%

Shares of URI stock traded up $155.81 on Thursday, hitting $958.60. 396,713 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 644,610. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.41, a quick ratio of 0.88 and a current ratio of 0.94. United Rentals has a one year low of $605.43 and a one year high of $1,021.47. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $790.94 and its 200 day simple moving average is $841.72. The stock has a market capitalization of $60.28 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.76, a P/E/G ratio of 1.30 and a beta of 1.68.

United Rentals Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, May 27th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, May 13th will be given a dividend of $1.97 per share. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, May 13th. This represents a $7.88 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.8%. United Rentals’s dividend payout ratio is 20.37%.

United Rentals News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Company reported record Q1 results and raised full‑year 2026 revenue and EBITDA guidance, which traders cited as the main catalyst for the rally. Management pointed to strong rental revenue growth and solid free‑cash‑flow generation. Quiver Quant: United Rentals surges
• Positive Sentiment: Company beat the Zacks EPS estimate ($9.01) with adjusted EPS of $9.71 and reported year‑over‑year revenue growth; Zacks’ coverage highlights the beat vs. that estimate. This supports the narrative of operating leverage in the quarter. Zacks: URI beats Q1 estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Capital returns ramped up: United Rentals returned $500M in the quarter (including $375M buybacks) and announced a new $5.0B share‑repurchase authorization — a clear shareholder‑friendly move that likely boosted sentiment. Quiver Quant: repurchases & returns
• Positive Sentiment: Board declared a quarterly cash dividend of $1.97/share (record May 13, payable May 27), reinforcing the cash‑return story (annualized yield ~0.8%). Dividend announcement
• Neutral Sentiment: Some outlets note mixed beats vs. different consensus figures: URI beat certain estimates (Zacks) but missed other consensus EPS and revenue measures cited by MarketBeat — investors should check which benchmarks matter to them. Zacks: key metrics vs estimates
• Neutral Sentiment: Wall Street positioning: recent analyst coverage remains largely constructive with multiple buy/overweight ratings and a median price target near $1,022 — supportive but not a near‑term catalyst by itself. Quiver Quant: analyst ratings & targets
• Negative Sentiment: Insider and institutional moves: recent disclosures show insider share sales and large institutional reductions in prior quarters; prolonged selling or shifts by major holders could pressure the stock if sustained. Quiver Quant: insider & institutional activity
• Negative Sentiment: Some outlets citing MarketBeat flagged that EPS and revenue missed certain consensus numbers — any perception of a miss versus the most widely followed consensus can create short‑term volatility. Press release / financials

United Rentals declared that its Board of Directors has approved a stock repurchase plan on Wednesday, January 28th that permits the company to buyback $5.00 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization permits the construction company to repurchase up to 8.7% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback plans are generally a sign that the company’s management believes its shares are undervalued.

Insider Buying and Selling at United Rentals

In related news, EVP William E. Grace sold 1,498 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $790.89, for a total transaction of $1,184,753.22. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 6,872 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,434,996.08. This trade represents a 17.90% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP Michael D. Durand sold 2,490 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, February 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $791.14, for a total transaction of $1,969,938.60. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 7,458 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,900,322.12. This represents a 25.03% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. 0.47% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On United Rentals

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in URI. Woodline Partners LP grew its holdings in United Rentals by 40.0% in the 1st quarter. Woodline Partners LP now owns 5,518 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $3,458,000 after acquiring an additional 1,577 shares during the last quarter. Sei Investments Co. grew its position in shares of United Rentals by 24.7% in the 2nd quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 27,136 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $20,444,000 after buying an additional 5,375 shares during the last quarter. Treasurer of the State of North Carolina grew its position in shares of United Rentals by 43.6% in the 2nd quarter. Treasurer of the State of North Carolina now owns 56,057 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $42,233,000 after buying an additional 17,030 shares during the last quarter. HUB Investment Partners LLC grew its position in shares of United Rentals by 11.3% in the 2nd quarter. HUB Investment Partners LLC now owns 2,205 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $1,661,000 after buying an additional 223 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Diversify Advisory Services LLC grew its position in shares of United Rentals by 338.7% in the 2nd quarter. Diversify Advisory Services LLC now owns 1,654 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $1,246,000 after buying an additional 1,277 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 96.26% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms recently issued reports on URI. Citigroup decreased their price objective on United Rentals from $1,090.00 to $950.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. UBS Group raised shares of United Rentals from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $1,025.00 target price on the stock in a report on Sunday, January 4th. Truist Financial set a $972.00 target price on shares of United Rentals in a report on Friday, January 30th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on shares of United Rentals from $995.00 to $1,071.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, January 23rd. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their target price on United Rentals from $970.00 to $850.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, April 10th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have given a Buy rating, three have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, United Rentals has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $914.88.

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.