United Rentals, Inc. $URI Shares Sold by Quilter Plc

Quilter Plc cut its position in shares of United Rentals, Inc. (NYSE:URI) by 3.1% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 102,770 shares of the construction company’s stock after selling 3,241 shares during the quarter. United Rentals makes up 1.4% of Quilter Plc’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 26th largest position. Quilter Plc’s holdings in United Rentals were worth $83,174,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. Optas LLC raised its holdings in United Rentals by 0.9% in the 3rd quarter. Optas LLC now owns 1,174 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $1,121,000 after acquiring an additional 10 shares during the last quarter. OFI Invest Asset Management grew its position in shares of United Rentals by 6.7% in the third quarter. OFI Invest Asset Management now owns 175 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $167,000 after purchasing an additional 11 shares during the period. Gleason Group Inc. grew its position in shares of United Rentals by 4.3% in the fourth quarter. Gleason Group Inc. now owns 269 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $218,000 after purchasing an additional 11 shares during the period. Great Valley Advisor Group Inc. increased its stake in United Rentals by 2.9% in the second quarter. Great Valley Advisor Group Inc. now owns 387 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $292,000 after purchasing an additional 11 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Opal Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its position in United Rentals by 2.7% during the third quarter. Opal Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 450 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $430,000 after buying an additional 12 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 96.26% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling at United Rentals

In related news, EVP Michael D. Durand sold 2,490 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $791.14, for a total value of $1,969,938.60. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 7,458 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,900,322.12. The trade was a 25.03% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, EVP William E. Grace sold 1,498 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $790.89, for a total value of $1,184,753.22. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 6,872 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,434,996.08. This trade represents a 17.90% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 0.53% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

United Rentals Stock Down 0.0%

URI opened at $732.08 on Monday. United Rentals, Inc. has a 1 year low of $525.91 and a 1 year high of $1,021.47. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $811.00 and a 200 day moving average price of $857.07. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.41, a quick ratio of 0.88 and a current ratio of 0.94. The company has a market cap of $46.04 billion, a PE ratio of 18.93, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.18 and a beta of 1.68.

United Rentals (NYSE:URI) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, January 28th. The construction company reported $11.09 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $11.86 by ($0.77). United Rentals had a net margin of 15.49% and a return on equity of 30.35%. The business had revenue of $4.21 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.24 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $11.59 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 2.8% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts expect that United Rentals, Inc. will post 44.8 earnings per share for the current year.

United Rentals announced that its board has authorized a share repurchase program on Wednesday, January 28th that authorizes the company to buyback $5.00 billion in shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the construction company to buy up to 8.7% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are usually a sign that the company’s management believes its shares are undervalued.

United Rentals Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, February 25th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, February 11th were given a $1.97 dividend. This represents a $7.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.1%. This is a positive change from United Rentals’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.79. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, February 11th. United Rentals’s dividend payout ratio is 20.37%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts have issued reports on the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price target on United Rentals from $1,150.00 to $970.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, January 30th. Citigroup cut their price objective on shares of United Rentals from $1,090.00 to $950.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, February 2nd. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of United Rentals in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. Sanford C. Bernstein set a $965.00 target price on shares of United Rentals in a report on Friday, January 30th. Finally, KeyCorp set a $950.00 price target on shares of United Rentals in a research note on Friday, January 30th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have issued a Buy rating, three have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $925.59.

United Rentals Profile

United Rentals, Inc (NYSE: URI) is a leading equipment rental company headquartered in Stamford, Connecticut. The firm provides rental solutions and related services to construction, industrial, commercial, and municipal customers. Its business model centers on providing access to a broad fleet of equipment on a short-term or long-term basis, enabling customers to avoid the capital expenditure of ownership and to scale equipment use to match project needs.

The company’s product and service offerings span general construction equipment and a range of specialty categories, including aerial work platforms, earthmoving and excavation machines, material handling equipment, pumps, power and HVAC systems, trench and shoring solutions, and tools.