United Rentals Announces Record Third Quarter Results and Raises Full-Year 2026 Guidance
Higher revenue and operating cash flow forecasts accompany increased equipment spending, while free cash flow guidance remains unchanged.
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Third Quarter 2026 Highlights
-
Total revenue of
, including rental revenue1 of$4.893 billion .$4.316 billion -
Net income of
, at a margin2 of$920 million 18.8% . GAAP diluted earnings per share (“EPS”) of , and adjusted EPS3 of$14.77 .$15.55 -
Adjusted EBITDA3 of
, at a margin2 of$2.331 billion 47.6% . -
Year-over-year, fleet productivity4 increased
6.5% . -
Year-to-date net cash provided by operating activities of
; free cash flow3 of$4.934 billion , including gross payments for purchases of rental equipment of$1.421 billion .$4.339 billion -
Year-to-date gross rental capital expenditures of
.$4.746 billion -
Returned
to shareholders year-to-date, comprised of$1.496 billion via share repurchases and$1.125 billion via dividends paid.$371 million -
Net leverage ratio5 of 1.8x, with total liquidity5 of
, at September 30, 2026.$2.615 billion
CEO Comment
Matthew Flannery, chief executive officer of United Rentals, said, “I’m very pleased with our third-quarter results, which are a testament to our strategy, our team’s dedication to our customers, and the unmatched breadth and scale of our premier offering. We continued to lean into growth across both our general rentals and specialty businesses with the momentum from the first half of the year carrying through the quarter.”
Flannery continued, “As we look ahead, we believe we are uniquely positioned to outperform the industry through our broad footprint, unmatched one-stop-shop offering, exceptional levels of service, leading technology and unwavering commitment to safety. Our raised guidance reflects this, and is supported by our customers’ confidence, their backlogs, and the momentum we see across large projects. I am very proud of the company we continue to build, underpinned by a well-proven strategy of supporting our customers while also driving profitable growth and strong through-cycle free cash flow generation. Combined with prudent capital allocation, this will continue to deliver compelling long-term value for our shareholders.”
| ____________________ | |
1. |
Rental revenue includes owned equipment rental revenue, re-rent revenue and ancillary revenue. |
2. |
Net income margin and adjusted EBITDA margin represent net income or adjusted EBITDA divided by total revenue. |
3. |
Adjusted EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization), adjusted EPS (earnings per share) and free cash flow are non-GAAP financial measures as defined in the tables below. See the tables below for reconciliations to the most comparable GAAP measures. |
4. |
Fleet productivity reflects the combined impact of changes in rental rates, time utilization and mix on owned equipment rental revenue. |
5. |
The net leverage ratio reflects net debt (total debt less cash and cash equivalents) divided by adjusted EBITDA for the trailing 12 months. Total liquidity reflects cash and cash equivalents plus availability under the asset-based revolving credit facility (“ABL facility”) and the accounts receivable securitization facility. |
2026 Outlook
The company has raised its 2026 outlook, as reflected below.
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Current Outlook |
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Prior Outlook |
Total revenue |
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Adjusted EBITDA6 |
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Net rental capital expenditures after gross purchases |
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Net cash provided by operating activities |
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Free cash flow excluding restructuring related payments7 |
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Summary of Third Quarter 2026 Financial Results
-
Rental revenue increased
17.8% year-over-year, to a quarterly record of , primarily due to a$4.316 billion 7.9% increase in average original equipment at cost (“OEC”), strong demand as reflected in a6.5% increase in fleet productivity, and a4.9% contribution from ancillary and re-rent revenue. -
Used equipment sales in the quarter increased
4.5% year-over-year. Used equipment sales generated of proceeds at a GAAP gross margin of$348 million 44.8% and an adjusted gross margin8 of46.3% , compared to a GAAP gross margin of44.1% and an adjusted gross margin of45.9% for the same period last year. The company realized a51.4% OEC recovery rate on the fleet sold in the third quarter of 2026. -
Net income for the quarter increased
31.2% year-over-year to a third quarter record of , while net income margin increased 220 basis points to$920 million 18.8% , primarily due to increased rental gross margin. The increase in rental gross margin primarily reflected, for both the general rentals and specialty rentals segments, the impact of efficiencies in depreciation, labor and benefits, repairs and maintenance, and delivery expenses, partially offset by the impact of changes in revenue mix driven by growth in lower-margin ancillary and re-rent revenues. -
Adjusted EBITDA for the quarter increased
19.8% year-over-year to a quarterly record of , while adjusted EBITDA margin increased 160 basis points to$2.331 billion 47.6% , primarily reflecting increased rental gross margin (excluding depreciation and stock compensation expense), a reduction in selling, general and administrative ("SG&A") expenses as a percentage of revenue, and an increase in the proportion of revenue from equipment rentals. The increase in rental gross margin is discussed above (the discussion above includes depreciation, while, on the adjusted EBITDA basis, rental gross margin excludes depreciation). -
General rentals segment rental revenue increased
8.8% year-over-year to a quarterly record of , while rental gross margin increased by 170 basis points year-over-year to$2.612 billion 38.4% , primarily due to the drivers discussed above. -
Specialty rentals segment rental revenue increased
34.7% year-over-year to a quarterly record of . Rental gross margin increased by 250 basis points year-over-year to$1.704 billion 47.6% , primarily due to the drivers discussed above.
| ____________________ | |
6. |
Information reconciling forward-looking adjusted EBITDA to the comparable GAAP financial measures is unavailable to the company without unreasonable effort, as discussed below. |
7. |
Free cash flow excludes restructuring related payments, which cannot be reasonably predicted for the 2026 outlook. Restructuring related payments were |
8. |
Used equipment sales adjusted gross margin is a non-GAAP financial measure that excludes the impact ( |
-
Cash flow from operating activities increased
25.4% to , and free cash flow, including restructuring related payments, increased$4.934 billion 19.2% to , year-over-year, for the first nine months of 2026.$1.421 billion -
Capital management. The company’s net leverage ratio was 1.8x at September 30, 2026, as compared to 1.9x at December 31, 2025. During the nine months ended September 30, 2026, the company completed its prior
share repurchase9 program, and commenced its new$2.0 billion share repurchase program. During the nine months ended September 30, 2026, the company repurchased$5.0 billion of common stock under these programs, and paid dividends totaling$1.125 billion . The company expects to complete$371 million of share repurchases in 2026. Additionally, the company’s Board of Directors has declared a quarterly dividend of$1.5 billion per share, payable on November 25, 2026 to stockholders of record on November 11, 2026.$1.97 -
Total liquidity was
as of September 30, 2026, including$2.615 billion of cash and cash equivalents.$153 million -
Return on invested capital (ROIC)10 was
12.3% for the 12 months ended September 30, 2026.
Conference Call
United Rentals will hold a conference call tomorrow, Thursday, October 22, 2026, at 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time. The conference call number is 800-791-4799 (international: 785-424-1631). The replay number for the call is 402-220-0687. The passcode for both the conference call and the replay is 31810. The conference call will also be available live by audio webcast at unitedrentals.com, where it will be archived until the next earnings call.
| ____________________ | |
9. |
A |
10. |
The company’s ROIC metric uses after-tax operating income for the trailing 12 months divided by average stockholders’ equity, debt and deferred taxes, net of average cash. To mitigate the volatility related to fluctuations in the company’s tax rate from period to period, the |
Non-GAAP Financial Measures
Free cash flow, earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA), adjusted EBITDA, adjusted earnings per share (adjusted EPS) and used equipment sales adjusted gross margin are non-GAAP financial measures as defined under the rules of the SEC. Free cash flow represents net cash provided by operating activities less payments for purchases of, and plus proceeds from, equipment and intangible assets. The equipment and intangible asset items are included in cash flows from investing activities. EBITDA represents the sum of net income, provision for income taxes, interest expense, net, depreciation of rental equipment and non-rental depreciation and amortization. Adjusted EBITDA represents EBITDA plus the sum of the restructuring charges, stock compensation expense, net, and the impact of the fair value mark-up of acquired fleet. Adjusted EPS represents EPS plus the sum of the restructuring charges, the impact on depreciation related to acquired fleet and property and equipment, the impact of the fair value mark-up of acquired fleet, merger related intangible asset amortization, asset impairment charge and debt related losses. Used equipment sales adjusted gross margin excludes the impact of the fair value mark-up of fleet acquired in certain major acquisitions that was subsequently sold (this adjustment is explained further in the adjusted EPS and EBITDA/adjusted EBITDA tables below). The company believes that: (i) free cash flow provides useful additional information concerning cash flow available to meet future debt service obligations and working capital requirements; (ii) EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA provide useful information about operating performance and period-over-period growth, and help investors gain an understanding of the factors and trends affecting our ongoing cash earnings, from which capital investments are made and debt is serviced; (iii) adjusted EPS provides useful information concerning future profitability; and (iv) used equipment sales adjusted gross margin provides information that is useful for evaluating the profitability of used equipment sales without regard to potential distortions. However, none of these measures should be considered as alternatives to net income, cash flows from operating activities, earnings per share or GAAP gross margin from used equipment sales under GAAP as indicators of operating performance or liquidity. See the tables below for further discussion of these non-GAAP financial measures.
Information reconciling forward-looking adjusted EBITDA to GAAP financial measures is unavailable to the company without unreasonable effort. The company is not able to provide reconciliations of adjusted EBITDA to GAAP financial measures because certain items required for such reconciliations are outside of the company’s control and/or cannot be reasonably predicted, such as the provision for income taxes. Preparation of such reconciliations would require a forward-looking balance sheet, statement of income and statement of cash flow, prepared in accordance with GAAP, and such forward-looking financial statements are unavailable to the company without unreasonable effort (as specified in the exception provided by Item 10(e)(1)(i)(B) of Regulation S-K). The company provides a range for its adjusted EBITDA forecast that it believes will be achieved, however it cannot accurately predict all the components of the adjusted EBITDA calculation. The company provides an adjusted EBITDA forecast because it believes that adjusted EBITDA, when viewed with the company’s results under GAAP, provides useful information for the reasons noted above. However, adjusted EBITDA is not a measure of financial performance or liquidity under GAAP and, accordingly, should not be considered as an alternative to net income or cash flow from operating activities as an indicator of operating performance or liquidity.
About United Rentals
United Rentals, Inc. is the largest equipment rental company in the world. The company has an integrated network of 1,686 rental locations in
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, known as the PSLRA. These statements can generally be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as “believe,” “expect,” “may,” “will,” “should,” “seek,” “on-track,” “plan,” “project,” “forecast,” “intend” or “anticipate,” or the negative thereof or comparable terminology, or by discussions of vision, strategy or outlook. You are cautioned that our business and operations are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond our control, and, consequently, our actual results may differ materially from those projected. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected include, but are not limited to, the following: (1) the impact of global economic conditions (including inflation, interest rates, supply chain constraints, tariffs, trade wars and sanctions), geopolitical risks (including risks related to international conflicts) and public health crises and epidemics on us, our customers and our suppliers, in
For a more complete description of these and other possible risks and uncertainties, please refer to our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025, as well as to our subsequent filings with the SEC. The forward-looking statements contained herein speak only as of the date hereof, and we make no commitment to update or publicly release any revisions to forward-looking statements in order to reflect new information or subsequent events, circumstances or changes in expectations, except as required by law.
UNITED RENTALS, INC. CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME (UNAUDITED) (In millions, except per share amounts) |
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Three Months Ended |
|
Nine Months Ended |
||||||||||||
|
September 30, |
|
September 30, |
||||||||||||
|
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2026 |
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|
|
2025 |
|
|
|
2026 |
|
|
|
2025 |
|
Revenues: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||
Equipment rentals |
$ |
4,316 |
|
|
$ |
3,665 |
|
|
$ |
11,584 |
|
|
$ |
10,225 |
|
Sales of rental equipment |
|
348 |
|
|
|
333 |
|
|
|
1,028 |
|
|
|
1,027 |
|
Sales of new equipment |
|
84 |
|
|
|
95 |
|
|
|
254 |
|
|
|
240 |
|
Contractor supplies sales |
|
47 |
|
|
|
43 |
|
|
|
131 |
|
|
|
120 |
|
Service and other revenues |
|
98 |
|
|
|
93 |
|
|
|
291 |
|
|
|
279 |
|
Total revenues |
|
4,893 |
|
|
|
4,229 |
|
|
|
13,288 |
|
|
|
11,891 |
|
Cost of revenues: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||
Cost of equipment rentals, excluding depreciation |
|
1,760 |
|
|
|
1,530 |
|
|
|
4,896 |
|
|
|
4,351 |
|
Depreciation of rental equipment |
|
742 |
|
|
|
684 |
|
|
|
2,127 |
|
|
|
1,972 |
|
Cost of rental equipment sales |
|
192 |
|
|
|
186 |
|
|
|
558 |
|
|
|
567 |
|
Cost of new equipment sales |
|
66 |
|
|
|
75 |
|
|
|
204 |
|
|
|
192 |
|
Cost of contractor supplies sales |
|
29 |
|
|
|
32 |
|
|
|
87 |
|
|
|
86 |
|
Cost of service and other revenues |
|
58 |
|
|
|
57 |
|
|
|
169 |
|
|
|
169 |
|
Total cost of revenues |
|
2,847 |
|
|
|
2,564 |
|
|
|
8,041 |
|
|
|
7,337 |
|
Gross profit |
|
2,046 |
|
|
|
1,665 |
|
|
|
5,247 |
|
|
|
4,554 |
|
Selling, general and administrative expenses (1) |
|
511 |
|
|
|
442 |
|
|
|
1,424 |
|
|
|
1,301 |
|
Restructuring charge |
|
15 |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
66 |
|
|
|
1 |
|
Non-rental depreciation and amortization |
|
111 |
|
|
|
109 |
|
|
|
341 |
|
|
|
331 |
|
Operating income |
|
1,409 |
|
|
|
1,114 |
|
|
|
3,416 |
|
|
|
2,921 |
|
Interest expense, net (1) |
|
184 |
|
|
|
178 |
|
|
|
538 |
|
|
|
533 |
|
Other income, net (1) |
|
(6 |
) |
|
|
(1 |
) |
|
|
(61 |
) |
|
|
(76 |
) |
Income before provision for income taxes |
|
1,231 |
|
|
|
937 |
|
|
|
2,939 |
|
|
|
2,464 |
|
Provision for income taxes |
|
311 |
|
|
|
236 |
|
|
|
735 |
|
|
|
623 |
|
Net income (1) |
$ |
920 |
|
|
$ |
701 |
|
|
$ |
2,204 |
|
|
$ |
1,841 |
|
Diluted earnings per share (1) |
$ |
14.77 |
|
|
$ |
10.91 |
|
|
$ |
35.19 |
|
|
$ |
28.37 |
|
Dividends declared per share |
$ |
1.97 |
|
|
$ |
1.79 |
|
|
$ |
5.91 |
|
|
$ |
5.37 |
|
(1) |
The nine months ended September 30, 2026 include gains primarily associated with the sale of part of our scaffolding business. The impact of the business sales was a pre-tax gain of |
UNITED RENTALS, INC. CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (UNAUDITED) (In millions) |
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|
September 30, 2026 |
|
December 31, 2025 |
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ASSETS |
|
|
|
||||
Cash and cash equivalents |
$ |
153 |
|
|
$ |
459 |
|
Accounts receivable, net |
|
3,096 |
|
|
|
2,510 |
|
Inventory |
|
313 |
|
|
|
240 |
|
Prepaid expenses and other assets |
|
423 |
|
|
|
399 |
|
Total current assets |
|
3,985 |
|
|
|
3,608 |
|
Rental equipment, net |
|
18,363 |
|
|
|
16,069 |
|
Property and equipment, net |
|
1,154 |
|
|
|
1,134 |
|
Goodwill |
|
7,261 |
|
|
|
7,119 |
|
Other intangible assets, net |
|
507 |
|
|
|
477 |
|
Operating lease right-of-use assets |
|
1,454 |
|
|
|
1,395 |
|
Other long-term assets |
|
61 |
|
|
|
64 |
|
Total assets |
$ |
32,785 |
|
|
$ |
29,866 |
|
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY |
|
|
|
||||
Short-term debt and current maturities of long-term debt |
$ |
1,607 |
|
|
$ |
1,577 |
|
Accounts payable |
|
1,686 |
|
|
|
776 |
|
Accrued expenses and other liabilities |
|
1,713 |
|
|
|
1,466 |
|
Total current liabilities |
|
5,006 |
|
|
|
3,819 |
|
Long-term debt |
|
13,064 |
|
|
|
12,652 |
|
Deferred taxes |
|
3,594 |
|
|
|
3,115 |
|
Operating lease liabilities |
|
1,196 |
|
|
|
1,124 |
|
Other long-term liabilities |
|
230 |
|
|
|
188 |
|
Total liabilities |
|
23,090 |
|
|
|
20,898 |
|
Common stock |
|
1 |
|
|
|
1 |
|
Additional paid-in capital |
|
2,846 |
|
|
|
2,769 |
|
Retained earnings |
|
17,676 |
|
|
|
15,843 |
|
Treasury stock |
|
(10,531 |
) |
|
|
(9,396 |
) |
Accumulated other comprehensive loss |
|
(297 |
) |
|
|
(249 |
) |
Total stockholders’ equity |
|
9,695 |
|
|
|
8,968 |
|
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity |
$ |
32,785 |
|
|
$ |
29,866 |
|
UNITED RENTALS, INC. CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS (UNAUDITED) (In millions) |
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|
Three Months Ended |
|
Nine Months Ended |
||||||||||||
|
September 30, |
|
September 30, |
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|
|
2026 |
|
|
|
2025 |
|
|
|
2026 |
|
|
|
2025 |
|
Cash Flows From Operating Activities: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||
Net income |
$ |
920 |
|
|
$ |
701 |
|
|
$ |
2,204 |
|
|
$ |
1,841 |
|
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||
Depreciation and amortization |
|
853 |
|
|
|
793 |
|
|
|
2,468 |
|
|
|
2,303 |
|
Amortization of deferred financing costs and original issue discounts |
|
5 |
|
|
|
3 |
|
|
|
13 |
|
|
|
11 |
|
Gain on sales of rental equipment |
|
(156 |
) |
|
|
(147 |
) |
|
|
(470 |
) |
|
|
(460 |
) |
Gain on sales of non-rental equipment |
|
(3 |
) |
|
|
(5 |
) |
|
|
(10 |
) |
|
|
(15 |
) |
Gain on sale of business (1) |
|
(4 |
) |
|
|
— |
|
|
|
(53 |
) |
|
|
— |
|
Insurance proceeds from damaged equipment |
|
(11 |
) |
|
|
(13 |
) |
|
|
(34 |
) |
|
|
(36 |
) |
Stock compensation expense, net |
|
43 |
|
|
|
32 |
|
|
|
122 |
|
|
|
102 |
|
Restructuring charge |
|
15 |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
66 |
|
|
|
1 |
|
Debt related activity (2) |
|
— |
|
|
|
2 |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
15 |
|
Increase in deferred taxes |
|
268 |
|
|
|
297 |
|
|
|
488 |
|
|
|
259 |
|
Changes in operating assets and liabilities, net of amounts acquired: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||
Increase in accounts receivable |
|
(296 |
) |
|
|
(213 |
) |
|
|
(568 |
) |
|
|
(208 |
) |
(Increase) decrease in inventory |
|
(17 |
) |
|
|
8 |
|
|
|
(71 |
) |
|
|
(33 |
) |
Decrease (increase) in prepaid expenses and other assets |
|
(14 |
) |
|
|
(88 |
) |
|
|
16 |
|
|
|
(202 |
) |
(Decrease) increase in accounts payable |
|
(116 |
) |
|
|
(191 |
) |
|
|
507 |
|
|
|
338 |
|
Increase in accrued expenses and other liabilities |
|
142 |
|
|
|
2 |
|
|
|
256 |
|
|
|
18 |
|
Net cash provided by operating activities |
|
1,629 |
|
|
|
1,181 |
|
|
|
4,934 |
|
|
|
3,934 |
|
Cash Flows From Investing Activities: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||
Payments for purchases of rental equipment |
|
(1,619 |
) |
|
|
(1,455 |
) |
|
|
(4,339 |
) |
|
|
(3,576 |
) |
Payments for purchases of non-rental equipment and intangible assets |
|
(115 |
) |
|
|
(91 |
) |
|
|
(280 |
) |
|
|
(273 |
) |
Proceeds from sales of rental equipment |
|
348 |
|
|
|
333 |
|
|
|
1,028 |
|
|
|
1,027 |
|
Proceeds from sales of non-rental equipment |
|
18 |
|
|
|
13 |
|
|
|
44 |
|
|
|
44 |
|
Proceeds from sale of business (1) |
|
10 |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
92 |
|
|
|
— |
|
Insurance proceeds from damaged equipment |
|
11 |
|
|
|
13 |
|
|
|
34 |
|
|
|
36 |
|
Purchases of other companies, net of cash acquired |
|
(127 |
) |
|
|
(6 |
) |
|
|
(527 |
) |
|
|
(22 |
) |
Purchases of investments |
|
(4 |
) |
|
|
(1 |
) |
|
|
(4 |
) |
|
|
(2 |
) |
Proceeds from sales of investments |
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
3 |
|
|
|
— |
|
Net cash used in investing activities |
|
(1,478 |
) |
|
|
(1,194 |
) |
|
|
(3,949 |
) |
|
|
(2,766 |
) |
Cash Flows From Financing Activities: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||
Proceeds from debt |
|
2,888 |
|
|
|
2,638 |
|
|
|
7,391 |
|
|
|
7,467 |
|
Payments of debt |
|
(2,500 |
) |
|
|
(1,910 |
) |
|
|
(7,094 |
) |
|
|
(6,862 |
) |
Payment of contingent consideration |
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
(18 |
) |
|
|
(23 |
) |
Payments of financing and other debt related costs (2) |
|
— |
|
|
|
(9 |
) |
|
|
(1 |
) |
|
|
(23 |
) |
Common stock repurchased, including tax withholdings for share-based compensation (3) |
|
(375 |
) |
|
|
(618 |
) |
|
|
(1,191 |
) |
|
|
(1,338 |
) |
Dividends paid |
|
(123 |
) |
|
|
(115 |
) |
|
|
(371 |
) |
|
|
(350 |
) |
Net cash used in financing activities |
|
(110 |
) |
|
|
(14 |
) |
|
|
(1,284 |
) |
|
|
(1,129 |
) |
Effect of foreign exchange rates |
|
— |
|
|
|
(9 |
) |
|
|
(7 |
) |
|
|
16 |
|
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents |
|
41 |
|
|
|
(36 |
) |
|
|
(306 |
) |
|
|
55 |
|
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period |
|
112 |
|
|
|
548 |
|
|
|
459 |
|
|
|
457 |
|
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period |
$ |
153 |
|
|
$ |
512 |
|
|
$ |
153 |
|
|
$ |
512 |
|
Supplemental disclosure of cash flow information: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||
Cash paid for income taxes, net |
$ |
70 |
|
|
$ |
34 |
|
|
$ |
228 |
|
|
$ |
574 |
|
Cash paid for interest |
|
199 |
|
|
|
227 |
|
|
|
541 |
|
|
|
566 |
|
(1) |
See above for a discussion of the gains recognized upon the sale of part of our business in the nine months ended September 30, 2026. |
(2) |
The amounts for the nine months ended September 30, 2025 primarily reflect bridge financing fees associated with the terminated H&E acquisition. |
(3) |
The common stock repurchases include 1) shares repurchased pursuant to our share repurchase programs and 2) shares withheld to satisfy tax withholding obligations upon the vesting of restricted stock unit awards. |
UNITED RENTALS, INC.
RENTAL REVENUE
Fleet productivity is a comprehensive metric that provides insight into the decisions made by our managers in support of growth and returns. Specifically, we seek to optimize the interplay of rental rates, time utilization and mix in driving rental revenue. Fleet productivity aggregates, in one metric, the impact of changes in rates, utilization and mix on owned equipment rental revenue.
We believe that this metric is useful in assessing the effectiveness of our decisions on rates, time utilization and mix, particularly as they support the creation of shareholder value. The table below shows the components of the year-over-year change in rental revenue using the fleet productivity methodology:
|
Year-over-year change in average OEC |
|
Assumed year-over-year inflation impact (1) |
|
Fleet productivity (2) |
|
Contribution from ancillary and re-rent revenue (3) |
|
Total change in rental revenue |
Three Months Ended September 30, 2026 |
|
|
(1.5)% |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Nine Months Ended September 30, 2026 |
|
|
(1.5)% |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Please refer to our Third Quarter 2026 Investor Presentation for additional detail on fleet productivity.
(1) |
Reflects the estimated impact of inflation on the revenue productivity of fleet based on OEC, which is recorded at cost. |
|
(2) |
Reflects the combined impact of changes in rental rates, time utilization and mix on owned equipment rental revenue. Changes in customers, fleet, geographies and segments all contribute to changes in mix. |
|
(3) |
Reflects the combined impact of changes in other types of equipment rental revenue: ancillary and re-rent (excludes owned equipment rental revenue |
UNITED RENTALS, INC. SEGMENT PERFORMANCE ($ in millions) |
|||||||||||||||||||||
|
Three Months Ended |
|
Nine Months Ended |
||||||||||||||||||
|
September 30, |
|
September 30, |
||||||||||||||||||
|
|
2026 |
|
|
|
2025 |
|
|
Change |
|
|
2026 |
|
|
|
2025 |
|
|
Change |
||
General Rentals |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||
Reportable segment equipment rentals revenue |
$ |
2,612 |
|
|
$ |
2,400 |
|
|
8.8 |
% |
|
$ |
7,259 |
|
|
$ |
6,767 |
|
|
7.3 |
% |
Reportable segment equipment rentals gross profit |
|
1,003 |
|
|
|
881 |
|
|
13.8 |
% |
|
|
2,621 |
|
|
|
2,356 |
|
|
11.2 |
% |
Reportable segment equipment rentals gross margin |
|
38.4 |
% |
|
|
36.7 |
% |
|
170 bps |
|
|
36.1 |
% |
|
|
34.8 |
% |
|
130 bps |
||
Specialty |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||
Reportable segment equipment rentals revenue |
$ |
1,704 |
|
|
$ |
1,265 |
|
|
34.7 |
% |
|
$ |
4,325 |
|
|
$ |
3,458 |
|
|
25.1 |
% |
Reportable segment equipment rentals gross profit |
|
811 |
|
|
|
570 |
|
|
42.3 |
% |
|
|
1,940 |
|
|
|
1,546 |
|
|
25.5 |
% |
Reportable segment equipment rentals gross margin |
|
47.6 |
% |
|
|
45.1 |
% |
|
250 bps |
|
|
44.9 |
% |
|
|
44.7 |
% |
|
20 bps |
||
Total United Rentals |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||
Total equipment rentals revenue |
$ |
4,316 |
|
|
$ |
3,665 |
|
|
17.8 |
% |
|
$ |
11,584 |
|
|
$ |
10,225 |
|
|
13.3 |
% |
Total equipment rentals gross profit |
|
1,814 |
|
|
|
1,451 |
|
|
25.0 |
% |
|
|
4,561 |
|
|
|
3,902 |
|
|
16.9 |
% |
Total equipment rentals gross margin |
|
42.0 |
% |
|
|
39.6 |
% |
|
240 bps |
|
|
39.4 |
% |
|
|
38.2 |
% |
|
120 bps |
||
UNITED RENTALS, INC. DILUTED EARNINGS PER SHARE CALCULATION (In millions, except per share data) |
|||||||||||
|
Three Months Ended |
|
Nine Months Ended |
||||||||
|
September 30, |
|
September 30, |
||||||||
|
2026 |
|
2025 |
|
2026 |
|
2025 |
||||
Numerator: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||
Net income available to common stockholders (1) |
$ |
920 |
|
$ |
701 |
|
$ |
2,204 |
|
$ |
1,841 |
Denominator: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||
Denominator for basic earnings per share—weighted-average common shares |
|
62.2 |
|
|
64.2 |
|
|
62.5 |
|
|
64.8 |
Effect of dilutive securities: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||
Employee stock options |
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
Restricted stock units |
|
0.1 |
|
|
0.1 |
|
|
0.1 |
|
|
0.1 |
Denominator for diluted earnings per share—adjusted weighted-average common shares |
|
62.3 |
|
|
64.3 |
|
|
62.6 |
|
|
64.9 |
Diluted earnings per share (1) |
$ |
14.77 |
|
$ |
10.91 |
|
$ |
35.19 |
|
$ |
28.37 |
(1) |
For the nine months ended September 30, 2026, the impact of the gain on sale of business that is discussed above was a net after-tax benefit of |
UNITED RENTALS, INC.
ADJUSTED EARNINGS PER SHARE GAAP RECONCILIATION
We define “earnings per share – adjusted” as the sum of earnings per share – GAAP, as-reported plus the impact of the following special items: merger related intangible asset amortization, impact on depreciation related to acquired fleet and property and equipment, impact of the fair value mark-up of acquired fleet, restructuring charge, asset impairment charge and debt related losses. See below for further detail on the special items. Management believes that earnings per share - adjusted provides useful information concerning future profitability. However, earnings per share - adjusted is not a measure of financial performance under GAAP. Accordingly, earnings per share - adjusted should not be considered an alternative to GAAP earnings per share. The table below provides a reconciliation between earnings per share – GAAP, as-reported, and earnings per share – adjusted.
|
Three Months Ended |
|
Nine Months Ended |
||||||||||||
|
September 30, |
|
September 30, |
||||||||||||
|
|
2026 |
|
|
|
2025 |
|
|
|
2026 |
|
|
|
2025 |
|
Earnings per share - GAAP, as-reported (1) |
$ |
14.77 |
|
|
$ |
10.91 |
|
|
$ |
35.19 |
|
|
$ |
28.37 |
|
After-tax (2) impact of: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||
Merger related intangible asset amortization (3) |
|
0.37 |
|
|
|
0.45 |
|
|
|
1.17 |
|
|
|
1.46 |
|
Impact on depreciation related to acquired fleet and property and equipment (4) |
|
0.18 |
|
|
|
0.27 |
|
|
|
0.66 |
|
|
|
0.85 |
|
Impact of the fair value mark-up of acquired fleet (5) |
|
0.05 |
|
|
|
0.07 |
|
|
|
0.15 |
|
|
|
0.28 |
|
Restructuring charge (6) |
|
0.18 |
|
|
|
(0.01 |
) |
|
|
0.79 |
|
|
|
0.01 |
|
Asset impairment charge (7) |
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
0.02 |
|
|
|
0.03 |
|
Debt related losses |
|
— |
|
|
|
0.01 |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
0.01 |
|
Earnings per share - adjusted (1) |
$ |
15.55 |
|
|
$ |
11.70 |
|
|
$ |
37.98 |
|
|
$ |
31.01 |
|
Tax rate applied to above adjustments (2) |
|
25.2 |
% |
|
|
25.2 |
% |
|
|
25.1 |
% |
|
|
25.2 |
% |
(1) |
For the nine months ended September 30, 2026, the impact of the gain on sale of business that is discussed above was a net benefit of |
(2) |
The tax rates applied to the adjustments reflect the statutory rates in the applicable entities. |
(3) |
Reflects the amortization of the intangible assets acquired in the major acquisitions completed since 2012 that significantly impact our operations (the "major acquisitions," each of which had annual revenues of over |
(4) |
Reflects the impact of extending the useful lives of equipment acquired in certain major acquisitions, net of the impact of additional depreciation associated with the fair value mark-up of such equipment. |
(5) |
Reflects additional costs recorded in cost of rental equipment sales associated with the fair value mark-up of rental equipment acquired in certain major acquisitions and subsequently sold. |
(6) |
Primarily reflects severance and branch closure charges associated with our restructuring programs. We only include such costs that are part of a restructuring program as restructuring charges. The designated restructuring programs generally involve the closure of a large number of branches over a short period of time, often in periods following a major acquisition, and result in significant costs that we would not normally incur absent a major acquisition or other triggering event that results in the initiation of a restructuring program. Since the first such restructuring program was initiated in 2008, we have completed seven restructuring programs and have incurred total restructuring charges of |
(7) |
Reflects write-offs of leasehold improvements and other fixed assets. |
UNITED RENTALS, INC.
EBITDA AND ADJUSTED EBITDA GAAP RECONCILIATIONS
($ in millions, except footnotes)
EBITDA represents the sum of net income, provision for income taxes, interest expense, net, depreciation of rental equipment, and non-rental depreciation and amortization. Adjusted EBITDA represents EBITDA plus the sum of the restructuring charges, stock compensation expense, net, and the impact of the fair value mark-up of acquired fleet. See below for further detail on each adjusting item. These items are excluded from adjusted EBITDA internally when evaluating our operating performance and for strategic planning and forecasting purposes, and allow investors to make a more meaningful comparison between our core business operating results over different periods of time, as well as with those of other similar companies. The net income and adjusted EBITDA margins represent net income or adjusted EBITDA divided by total revenue. Management believes that EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA, when viewed with the company’s results under GAAP and the accompanying reconciliation, provide useful information about operating performance and period-over-period growth, and provide additional information that is useful for evaluating the operating performance of our core business without regard to potential distortions. Additionally, management believes that EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA help investors gain an understanding of the factors and trends affecting our ongoing cash earnings, from which capital investments are made and debt is serviced.
The table below provides a reconciliation between net income and EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA.
|
Three Months Ended |
|
Nine Months Ended |
||||||||||||
|
September 30, |
|
September 30, |
||||||||||||
|
2026 |
|
2025 |
|
2026 |
|
2025 |
||||||||
Net income (1) |
$ |
920 |
|
|
$ |
701 |
|
|
$ |
2,204 |
|
|
$ |
1,841 |
|
Provision for income taxes |
|
311 |
|
|
|
236 |
|
|
|
735 |
|
|
|
623 |
|
Interest expense, net |
|
184 |
|
|
|
178 |
|
|
|
538 |
|
|
|
533 |
|
Depreciation of rental equipment |
|
742 |
|
|
|
684 |
|
|
|
2,127 |
|
|
|
1,972 |
|
Non-rental depreciation and amortization |
|
111 |
|
|
|
109 |
|
|
|
341 |
|
|
|
331 |
|
EBITDA |
$ |
2,268 |
|
|
$ |
1,908 |
|
|
$ |
5,945 |
|
|
$ |
5,300 |
|
Restructuring charge (2) |
|
15 |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
66 |
|
|
|
1 |
|
Stock compensation expense, net (3) |
|
43 |
|
|
|
32 |
|
|
|
122 |
|
|
|
102 |
|
Impact of the fair value mark-up of acquired fleet (4) |
|
5 |
|
|
|
6 |
|
|
|
13 |
|
|
|
24 |
|
Adjusted EBITDA (1) |
$ |
2,331 |
|
|
$ |
1,946 |
|
|
$ |
6,146 |
|
|
$ |
5,427 |
|
Net income margin |
|
18.8 |
% |
|
|
16.6 |
% |
|
|
16.6 |
% |
|
|
15.5 |
% |
Adjusted EBITDA margin |
|
47.6 |
% |
|
|
46.0 |
% |
|
|
46.3 |
% |
|
|
45.6 |
% |
(1) |
For the nine months ended September 30, 2026, the impact of the gain on sale of business that is discussed above was a net after-tax benefit of |
(2) |
Primarily reflects severance and branch closure charges associated with our restructuring programs. We only include such costs that are part of a restructuring program as restructuring charges. The designated restructuring programs generally involve the closure of a large number of branches over a short period of time, often in periods following a major acquisition, and result in significant costs that we would not normally incur absent a major acquisition or other triggering event that results in the initiation of a restructuring program. Since the first such restructuring program was initiated in 2008, we have completed seven restructuring programs and have incurred total restructuring charges of |
(3) |
Represents non-cash, share-based payments associated with the granting of equity instruments. |
(4) |
Reflects additional costs recorded in cost of rental equipment sales associated with the fair value mark-up of rental equipment acquired in certain major acquisitions and subsequently sold. |
UNITED RENTALS, INC.
EBITDA AND ADJUSTED EBITDA GAAP RECONCILIATIONS (continued)
(In millions, except footnotes)
The table below provides a reconciliation between net cash provided by operating activities and EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA.
|
Three Months Ended |
|
Nine Months Ended |
||||||||||||
|
September 30, |
|
September 30, |
||||||||||||
|
|
2026 |
|
|
|
2025 |
|
|
|
2026 |
|
|
|
2025 |
|
Net cash provided by operating activities |
$ |
1,629 |
|
|
$ |
1,181 |
|
|
$ |
4,934 |
|
|
$ |
3,934 |
|
Adjustments for items included in net cash provided by operating activities but excluded from the calculation of EBITDA: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||
Amortization of deferred financing costs and original issue discounts |
|
(5 |
) |
|
|
(3 |
) |
|
|
(13 |
) |
|
|
(11 |
) |
Gain on sales of rental equipment |
|
156 |
|
|
|
147 |
|
|
|
470 |
|
|
|
460 |
|
Gain on sales of non-rental equipment |
|
3 |
|
|
|
5 |
|
|
|
10 |
|
|
|
15 |
|
Gain on sale of business (1) |
|
4 |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
53 |
|
|
|
— |
|
Insurance proceeds from damaged equipment |
|
11 |
|
|
|
13 |
|
|
|
34 |
|
|
|
36 |
|
Restructuring charge (2) |
|
(15 |
) |
|
|
— |
|
|
|
(66 |
) |
|
|
(1 |
) |
Stock compensation expense, net (3) |
|
(43 |
) |
|
|
(32 |
) |
|
|
(122 |
) |
|
|
(102 |
) |
Debt related activity (4) |
|
— |
|
|
|
(2 |
) |
|
|
— |
|
|
|
(15 |
) |
Changes in assets and liabilities |
|
259 |
|
|
|
338 |
|
|
|
(124 |
) |
|
|
(156 |
) |
Cash paid for interest |
|
199 |
|
|
|
227 |
|
|
|
541 |
|
|
|
566 |
|
Cash paid for income taxes, net |
|
70 |
|
|
|
34 |
|
|
|
228 |
|
|
|
574 |
|
EBITDA |
$ |
2,268 |
|
|
$ |
1,908 |
|
|
$ |
5,945 |
|
|
$ |
5,300 |
|
Add back: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||
Restructuring charge (2) |
|
15 |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
66 |
|
|
|
1 |
|
Stock compensation expense, net (3) |
|
43 |
|
|
|
32 |
|
|
|
122 |
|
|
|
102 |
|
Impact of the fair value mark-up of acquired fleet (5) |
|
5 |
|
|
|
6 |
|
|
|
13 |
|
|
|
24 |
|
Adjusted EBITDA (1) |
$ |
2,331 |
|
|
$ |
1,946 |
|
|
$ |
6,146 |
|
|
$ |
5,427 |
|
(1) |
For the nine months ended September 30, 2026, the impact of the gain on sale of business that is discussed above was a |
(2) |
Primarily reflects severance and branch closure charges associated with our restructuring programs. We only include such costs that are part of a restructuring program as restructuring charges. The designated restructuring programs generally involve the closure of a large number of branches over a short period of time, often in periods following a major acquisition, and result in significant costs that we would not normally incur absent a major acquisition or other triggering event that results in the initiation of a restructuring program. Since the first such restructuring program was initiated in 2008, we have completed seven restructuring programs and have incurred total restructuring charges of |
(3) |
Represents non-cash, share-based payments associated with the granting of equity instruments. |
(4) |
The amount for the nine months ended September 30, 2025 primarily reflects bridge financing fees associated with the terminated H&E acquisition. |
(5) |
Reflects additional costs recorded in cost of rental equipment sales associated with the fair value mark-up of rental equipment acquired in certain major acquisitions and subsequently sold. |
UNITED RENTALS, INC.
FREE CASH FLOW GAAP RECONCILIATION
(In millions, except footnotes)
We define “free cash flow” as net cash provided by operating activities less payments for purchases of, and plus proceeds from, equipment and intangible assets. The equipment and intangible asset items are included in cash flows from investing activities. Management believes that free cash flow provides useful additional information concerning cash flow available to meet future debt service obligations and working capital requirements. However, free cash flow is not a measure of financial performance or liquidity under GAAP. Accordingly, free cash flow should not be considered an alternative to net income or cash flow from operating activities as an indicator of operating performance or liquidity. The table below provides a reconciliation between net cash provided by operating activities and free cash flow.
|
Three Months Ended |
|
Nine Months Ended |
||||||||||||
|
September 30, |
|
September 30, |
||||||||||||
|
|
2026 |
|
|
|
2025 |
|
|
|
2026 |
|
|
|
2025 |
|
Net cash provided by operating activities |
$ |
1,629 |
|
|
$ |
1,181 |
|
|
$ |
4,934 |
|
|
$ |
3,934 |
|
Payments for purchases of rental equipment |
|
(1,619 |
) |
|
|
(1,455 |
) |
|
|
(4,339 |
) |
|
|
(3,576 |
) |
Payments for purchases of non-rental equipment and intangible assets |
|
(115 |
) |
|
|
(91 |
) |
|
|
(280 |
) |
|
|
(273 |
) |
Proceeds from sales of rental equipment |
|
348 |
|
|
|
333 |
|
|
|
1,028 |
|
|
|
1,027 |
|
Proceeds from sales of non-rental equipment |
|
18 |
|
|
|
13 |
|
|
|
44 |
|
|
|
44 |
|
Insurance proceeds from damaged equipment |
|
11 |
|
|
|
13 |
|
|
|
34 |
|
|
|
36 |
|
Free cash flow (1) |
$ |
272 |
|
|
$ |
(6 |
) |
|
$ |
1,421 |
|
|
$ |
1,192 |
|
(1) |
Free cash flow included restructuring related payments of |
The table below provides a reconciliation between 2026 forecasted net cash provided by operating activities and free cash flow.
Net cash provided by operating activities |
|
|
Payments for purchases of rental equipment |
|
|
Proceeds from sales of rental equipment |
|
|
Payments for purchases of non-rental equipment and intangible assets, net of proceeds from sales and insurance proceeds from damaged equipment |
|
|
Free cash flow excluding restructuring related payments |
|
|
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20261021699457/en/
Elizabeth Grenfell
Vice President, Investor Relations
O: (203) 618-7125
investors@ur.com
Source: United Rentals, Inc.