United Rentals, Inc. URI is scheduled to report its second-quarter 2026 results on July 22, after market close.
In the last reported quarter, the company’s adjusted earnings per share (EPS) and total revenues topped the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 7.8% and 2.9%, respectively. Also, year over year, the metrics grew 9.6% and 7.2%, respectively.
URI’s earnings surpassed estimates in one of the trailing four quarters and missed on the other three occasions, with a negative average surprise of 1.5%.
How are Estimates Placed for URI Stock?
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for second-quarter EPS has inched down to $11.67 from $11.68 in the past seven days. However, the estimated figure indicates an 11.5% increase from the year-ago quarter’s earnings of $10.47 per share.
The consensus estimate for total revenues is pegged at $4.23 billion, indicating growth of 7.3% from the prior-year quarter’s level.
United Rentals, Inc. Price and EPS Surprise
United Rentals, Inc. price-eps-surprise | United Rentals, Inc. Quote
Factors at Play for United Rentals’ Q2 Results
Revenues
The top-line performance of United Rentals is expected to have grown year over year from favorable secular trends in non-residential construction, infrastructure modernization, power, manufacturing, mining and data center development. These are likely to have resulted in healthy equipment rental demand, thus boosting the contributions from the General Rentals business segment (which contributed 67.3% to first-quarter 2026 total revenues) and the Specialty business segment (which contributed 32.7% to first-quarter 2026 total revenues).
Specialty rentals, which offer higher margins and remain central to United Rentals’ expansion strategy, are expected to have supported revenue growth both organically and through cold starts that added capacity in new markets. The company has also broadened its presence through strategic acquisitions and the introduction of new products, further strengthening the specialty offerings and market reach.
Moreover, URI’s extensive and diverse fleet allows it to manage its rental fleet through a life-cycle approach that focuses on satisfying customer demand and optimizing utilization levels. This business approach is expected to have enabled the company to serve large customers that require a wide range of equipment. Also, acquisitions and joint ventures are likely to have catalyzed the growth trends in the to-be-reported quarter.
For the second quarter, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for revenues from General Rentals and Specialty business segments is pegged at $2.82 billion and $1.41 billion, reflecting year-over-year growth of 4.7% and 13.2%, respectively. The consensus mark for revenues from equipment rentals is expected to increase to $3.67 billion from $3.42 billion reported a year ago.
Earnings & Margins
United Rentals is expected to report year-over-year bottom-line growth in the second quarter, attributable to higher fleet productivity and disciplined rate management. These factors, along with continued cost control, are likely to have contributed to improved profitability and earnings performance.
Although inflationary pressures and elevated delivery costs are likely to have partly offset these gains, the ongoing in-house initiatives by URI and elevated top-line leverage are expected to have more than overpowered the headwinds.
The consensus estimates for equipment rentals gross profit under the General Rentals and Specialty business segments are pegged at $846 million and $590 million, indicating year-over-year growth from $796 million and $525 million, respectively.
What the Zacks Model Indicates for URI
Our proven model conclusively predicts an earnings beat for United Rentals this time around. The combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) increases the odds of an earnings beat.
URI’s Earnings ESP: URI has an Earnings ESP of +1.39%. You can uncover the best stocks before they’re reported with our Earnings ESP Filter.
Zacks Rank of URI: The company currently has a Zacks Rank of 2. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
Other Stocks Poised to Beat Earnings
Here are some other companies in the Zacks Construction sector, which according to our model, have the right combination of elements to post an earnings beat.
Boise Cascade Company BCC has an Earnings ESP of +6.50% and a Zacks Rank of 1 at present.
Boise Cascade’s earnings beat estimates in two of the last four quarters, missed on one occasion and met on the remaining occasion, the average surprise being 40.8%. The company’s earnings for the second quarter of 2026 are expected to decline 25% year over year.
Dycom Industries, Inc. DY currently has an Earnings ESP of +0.47% and a Zacks Rank of 1.
Dycom’s earnings beat estimates in each of the last four quarters, the average surprise being 25%. The company’s earnings for the second quarter of fiscal 2027 are expected to increase 39.3% year over year.
CRH plc CRH has an Earnings ESP of +4.08% and a Zacks Rank of 3.
CRH’s earnings beat estimates in two of the last four quarters, missed on one occasion and met on the remaining occasion, the average surprise being 0.7%. The company’s earnings for the second quarter of 2026 are expected to inch up 1% year over year.
Radical New Technology Could Hand Investors Huge Gains
Quantum Computing is the next technological revolution, and it could be even more advanced than AI.
While some believed the technology was years away, it is already present and moving fast. Large hyperscalers, such as Microsoft, Google, Amazon, Oracle, and even Meta and Tesla, are scrambling to integrate quantum computing into their infrastructure.
Senior Stock Strategist Kevin Cook reveals 7 carefully selected stocks poised to dominate the quantum computing landscape in his report, Beyond AI: The Quantum Leap in Computing Power .
Kevin was among the early experts who recognized NVIDIA's enormous potential back in 2016. Now, he has keyed in on what could be "the next big thing" in quantum computing supremacy. Today, you have a rare chance to position your portfolio at the forefront of this opportunity.
See Top Quantum Stocks Now >>Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report
United Rentals, Inc. (URI): Free Stock Analysis Report
Dycom Industries, Inc. (DY): Free Stock Analysis Report
Boise Cascade, L.L.C. (BCC): Free Stock Analysis Report
CRH PLC (CRH): Free Stock Analysis Report
This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).