35,155 Shares in McGrath RentCorp $MGRC Acquired by Lazard Asset Management LLC

Lazard Asset Management LLC acquired a new stake in McGrath RentCorp (NASDAQ:MGRC) in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm acquired 35,155 shares of the financial services provider’s stock, valued at approximately $3,877,000. Lazard Asset Management LLC owned approximately 0.14% of McGrath RentCorp at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its position in McGrath RentCorp by 767.7% during the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 269 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 238 shares in the last quarter. Danske Bank A S acquired a new stake in McGrath RentCorp in the third quarter valued at $47,000. Strs Ohio purchased a new position in shares of McGrath RentCorp in the first quarter valued at $56,000. Covestor Ltd increased its position in shares of McGrath RentCorp by 52.0% in the fourth quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 1,385 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $145,000 after buying an additional 474 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Palouse Capital Management Inc. acquired a new position in shares of McGrath RentCorp during the 4th quarter worth $152,000. 92.05% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, VP John Lieffrig sold 2,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $125.00, for a total value of $250,000.00. Following the sale, the vice president directly owned 24,051 shares in the company, valued at $3,006,375. This represents a 7.68% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, Director Joseph F. Hanna sold 9,470 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, May 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $112.49, for a total value of $1,065,280.30. Following the sale, the director directly owned 159,579 shares in the company, valued at approximately $17,951,041.71. The trade was a 5.60% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 30,051 shares of company stock valued at $3,486,240. Company insiders own 1.40% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Separately, Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of McGrath RentCorp from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research report on Tuesday. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $141.50.

More McGrath RentCorp News

Here are the key news stories impacting McGrath RentCorp this week:

• Positive Sentiment: 2026 outlook and expansion spending support growth: Management projected 2026 revenue of $955 million to $985 million and raised planned gross rental capital expenditures to $200 million-$220 million, indicating continued demand and investment in fleet expansion. The higher spending could support future rental revenue and earnings. McGrath outlines 2026 revenue of $955M-$985M while raising gross rental CapEx to $200M-$220M
• Positive Sentiment: Sidoti raised several near-term forecasts: The firm increased its Q3 2026 EPS estimate to $1.85 from $1.79, Q4 2026 to $2.00 from $1.94, and FY2026 to $6.32 from $6.29. Sidoti also raised its Q4 2027 estimate to $2.18 from $2.12, suggesting improving expectations for portions of the outlook.
• Neutral Sentiment: Earnings call highlighted both growth and risks: Management discussed rental-revenue growth and strategic opportunities, while also addressing execution, capital spending and other operating risks. McGrath RentCorp Earnings Call Balances Growth and Risks
• Negative Sentiment: Second-quarter results missed expectations: MGRC reported EPS of $1.37 versus the $1.46 consensus estimate, while revenue of $221.11 million fell short of the $236.52 million forecast. EPS also declined from $1.46 a year earlier, potentially limiting enthusiasm around the stock. McGrath Misses Q2 Earnings and Revenue Estimates
• Negative Sentiment: Longer-term estimates were trimmed: Sidoti lowered Q1 2027 EPS to $1.17 from $1.18, Q2 2027 to $1.63 from $1.81, and FY2027 to $7.01 from $7.07. The FY2027 reduction suggests analysts see some pressure despite the improved near-term forecasts.

McGrath RentCorp Price Performance

Shares of MGRC opened at $115.15 on Friday. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $115.66 and a 200-day simple moving average of $113.41. McGrath RentCorp has a 1-year low of $94.99 and a 1-year high of $127.68. The stock has a market cap of $2.81 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.54, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.17 and a beta of 0.43.

McGrath RentCorp (NASDAQ:MGRC) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The financial services provider reported $1.37 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.47 by ($0.10). The company had revenue of $221.11 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $236.51 million. McGrath RentCorp had a net margin of 16.38% and a return on equity of 12.44%. On average, equities analysts expect that McGrath RentCorp will post 6.33 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

McGrath RentCorp Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, July 31st. Stockholders of record on Friday, July 17th were issued a $0.495 dividend. This represents a $1.98 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, July 17th. McGrath RentCorp’s payout ratio is 31.88%.

McGrath RentCorp Company Profile

McGrath RentCorp, through its subsidiaries, provides rental, sales, and servicing of equipment for commercial, industrial, environmental, and residential markets. The company operates primarily through two segments—mobile storage and water management—offering flexible solutions for customers requiring on-site storage, water transport, treatment, and dewatering services.

In its mobile storage segment, McGrath RentCorp supplies portable storage containers and modular office units to sectors including construction, retail, government, and disaster restoration.