Robert W. Baird Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation for United Rentals (NYSE:URI) Stock

United Rentals (NYSE:URI) had its price target hoisted by analysts at Robert W. Baird from $970.00 to $1,100.00 in a research note issued to investors on Friday, MarketBeat Ratings reports. The brokerage presently has an “outperform” rating on the construction company’s stock. Robert W. Baird’s target price indicates a potential upside of 12.81% from the stock’s previous close.

A number of other equities research analysts also recently weighed in on the stock. KeyCorp set a $950.00 price target on shares of United Rentals in a research report on Friday, January 30th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of United Rentals in a research report on Monday, April 20th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on shares of United Rentals from $995.00 to $1,071.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, January 23rd. Sanford C. Bernstein set a $903.00 price target on shares of United Rentals and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, April 9th. Finally, UBS Group upgraded shares of United Rentals from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $1,025.00 price target for the company in a research report on Sunday, January 4th. Thirteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $986.35.

United Rentals Stock Down 1.2%

NYSE URI opened at $975.12 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 0.80, a quick ratio of 0.88 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.37. United Rentals has a 1-year low of $611.93 and a 1-year high of $1,021.47. The company has a 50 day moving average of $795.43 and a 200-day moving average of $841.64. The company has a market cap of $61.09 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.88, a PEG ratio of 1.59 and a beta of 1.68.

United Rentals (NYSE:URI) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 22nd. The construction company reported $9.71 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $11.47 by ($1.76). United Rentals had a net margin of 15.32% and a return on equity of 30.56%. The business had revenue of $3.99 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.20 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $8.86 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 7.2% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts expect that United Rentals will post 46.64 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

United Rentals announced that its board has authorized a share repurchase program on Wednesday, January 28th that authorizes the company to buyback $5.00 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the construction company to buy up to 8.7% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are typically an indication that the company’s board believes its stock is undervalued.

Insider Activity at United Rentals

In other United Rentals news, EVP William E. Grace sold 1,498 shares of the business’s 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 sale, the executive vice president owned 6,872 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,434,996.08. The trade was a 17.90% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CEO Matthew John Flannery sold 22,768 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Friday, April 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $984.98, for a total transaction of $22,426,024.64. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 99,980 shares in the company, valued at approximately $98,478,300.40. The trade was a 18.55% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 27,304 shares of company stock worth $26,116,584. Corporate insiders own 0.47% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of United Rentals

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Gleason Group Inc. grew its stake in shares of United Rentals by 4.3% during the fourth quarter. Gleason Group Inc. now owns 269 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $218,000 after buying an additional 11 shares during the last quarter. Bridgewater Advisors Inc. grew its stake in shares of United Rentals by 1.2% during the fourth quarter. Bridgewater Advisors Inc. now owns 967 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $783,000 after buying an additional 11 shares during the last quarter. Great Valley Advisor Group Inc. grew its stake in shares of United Rentals by 2.9% during the second quarter. Great Valley Advisor Group Inc. now owns 387 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $292,000 after buying an additional 11 shares during the last quarter. Opal Wealth Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of United Rentals by 2.7% during the third quarter. Opal Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 450 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $430,000 after buying an additional 12 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Howard Capital Management Inc. grew its stake in shares of United Rentals by 3.1% during the third quarter. Howard Capital Management Inc. now owns 395 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $377,000 after buying an additional 12 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 96.26% of the company’s stock.

Key Stories Impacting United Rentals

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 beat and higher guidance — URI reported robust Q1 results, beating revenue and (adjusted) EPS expectations and raised full‑year 2026 guidance, which triggered the large share rally. United Rentals Announces Strong First Quarter Results and Raises Full-Year 2026 Guidance
• Positive Sentiment: Demand and margins driving outperformance — Coverage points to stronger large‑project demand, cost controls and fleet productivity as the operational drivers of the beat and improved margin outlook. URI Q1 deep dive: Large project demand and cost controls drive outperformance
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrades lift sentiment — Major brokers raised price targets and ratings (JPMorgan and Robert W. Baird among them), reflecting confidence in upside after the results. Benzinga The Fly
• Positive Sentiment: Management confident on call — The earnings call emphasized continued demand strength and execution, reinforcing the raised outlook. United Rentals’ Earnings Call Signals Confident Growth
• Neutral Sentiment: Market recognition and index spotlight — Coverage notes URI gaining visibility in indexes (Russell 1000) and elevated media attention following the print. How Is United Rentals Gaining Spotlight In The Russell 1000 Index?
• Neutral Sentiment: Dividend declared — URI declared a quarterly dividend (paid late May), a small income element but not a primary driver of the move. Benzinga movers
• Negative Sentiment: Sharp run‑up raises near‑term risk — The stock jumped 20%+ on the print, leaving valuation higher and increasing the chance of profit‑taking and short‑term volatility (which appears to be occurring today). Why United Rentals Stock Jumped More Than 20 Today
• Negative Sentiment: Volume and volatility spike — Trading volume has climbed materially around the print, increasing execution risk for larger positions and the chance of intraday swings. United Rentals stock soars 23 as earnings beat lifts outlook

United Rentals Company Profile

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.