CNS vs HRI Comparison

Cohen & Steers is a niche asset manager concentrating on real estate securities. The firm invests mainly in the equity shares of real estate investment trusts, with holdings in domestic and international real estate securities accounting for close to two thirds of its $79.3 billion in managed assets at the end of January 2024. Cohen & Steers also manages portfolios dedicated to preferred securities, utilities stocks, and other high-yield offerings. The firm's distribution is balanced among its closed-end funds, open-end funds, and institutional accounts. During the past four calendar quarters, the company garnered 42% (27%) of its managed assets (base management fees) from institutional clients, 45% (52%) from open-end funds, and 13% (21%) from closed-end funds.

Herc Holdings is an equipment rental company that was spun out of Hertz Global in 2016. It is currently the third-largest equipment rental company (4% market share) in North America, after United Rentals and Sunbelt Rentals, with a fleet size of $6.4 billion. It serves commercial and residential construction customers, the environmental sector, industrial entities, and entertainment production companies. During much of its 50-year-plus history, the company has rented equipment such as aerial lifts to its customers for intermittent use. More recently, it has broadened its catalog to include a host of specialty items. Separately, Herc Holdings' strategy now incorporates long-term rentals to industrial customers where Herc maintains its own staff at the customer site.