Is United Rentals Stock Outperforming the S&P 500?

United Rentals, Inc. (URI), headquartered in Stamford, Connecticut, functions as an equipment rental company. Valued at $53.7 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.

Companies worth $10 billion or more are generally described as “large-cap stocks,” and URI perfectly fits that description, with its market cap exceeding this mark, underscoring its size, influence, and dominance within the rental & leasing services industry. URI's global market leadership and extensive fleet drive its strong brand recognition. The company's proprietary software, Total Control®, and digital capabilities enhance customer relationships and operational efficiency.

Despite its notable strength, URI slipped 17.5% from its 52-week high of $1,021.47, achieved on Oct. 16, 2025. Over the past three months, URI stock gained 5.8%, outperforming the S&P 500 Index’s ($SPX) marginal decline during the same time frame.

Shares of URI rose 4.2% on a YTD basis and climbed 33% over the past 52 weeks, outperforming SPX’s YTD marginal losses and 16.9% returns over the last year.

To confirm the recent bearish trend, URI has been trading below its 50-day and 200-day moving averages since late February. 

United Rentals' growth in specialty businesses and large projects was offset by margin compression from repositioning costs and project delays. The company added 60 new locations and expects strong project pipelines in infrastructure and tech, but delivery costs and delayed projects weighed on margins.

On Jan. 28, URI reported its Q4 results, and its shares closed down by 12.9% in the following trading session. Its adjusted EPS of $11.09 missed Wall Street expectations of $11.90. The company’s revenue was $4.2 billion, falling short of Wall Street forecasts of $4.3 billion. URI expects full-year revenue in the range of $16.8 billion to $17.3 billion.

URI’s rival, Herc Holdings Inc. (HRI) shares have lagged behind the stock, with an 11.2% downtick on a YTD basis and 1.3% losses over the past 52 weeks.

Wall Street analysts are reasonably bullish on URI’s prospects. The stock has a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating from the 21 analysts covering it, and the mean price target of $942 suggests a potential upside of 11.8% from current price levels.