United Rentals, Inc. $URI Shares Bought by Swedbank AB

Swedbank AB grew its stake in shares of United Rentals, Inc. (NYSE:URI) by 2.8% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 54,674 shares of the construction company’s stock after acquiring an additional 1,509 shares during the period. Swedbank AB’s holdings in United Rentals were worth $44,249,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of URI. Woodline Partners LP lifted its position in shares of United Rentals by 40.0% during the 1st quarter. Woodline Partners LP now owns 5,518 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $3,458,000 after acquiring an additional 1,577 shares during the period. Sei Investments Co. raised its position in shares of United Rentals by 24.7% during the 2nd quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 27,136 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $20,444,000 after purchasing an additional 5,375 shares during the last quarter. Treasurer of the State of North Carolina raised its position in shares of United Rentals by 43.6% during the 2nd quarter. Treasurer of the State of North Carolina now owns 56,057 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $42,233,000 after purchasing an additional 17,030 shares during the last quarter. HUB Investment Partners LLC raised its position in shares of United Rentals by 11.3% during the 2nd quarter. HUB Investment Partners LLC now owns 2,205 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $1,661,000 after purchasing an additional 223 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Diversify Advisory Services LLC raised its position in shares of United Rentals by 338.7% during the 2nd quarter. Diversify Advisory Services LLC now owns 1,654 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $1,246,000 after purchasing an additional 1,277 shares during the last quarter. 96.26% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

United Rentals Stock Down 2.3%

Shares of NYSE URI opened at $942.69 on Friday. United Rentals, Inc. has a 52-week low of $656.95 and a 52-week high of $1,021.47. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $805.22 and a 200-day moving average of $838.92. The stock has a market capitalization of $59.06 billion, a PE ratio of 24.05, a P/E/G ratio of 1.53 and a beta of 1.83. The company has a quick ratio of 0.74, a current ratio of 0.80 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.37.

United Rentals (NYSE:URI) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 22nd. The construction company reported $9.71 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $11.47 by ($1.76). United Rentals had a net margin of 15.32% and a return on equity of 30.56%. The company had revenue of $3.99 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.20 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $8.86 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 7.2% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts anticipate that United Rentals, Inc. will post 46.99 EPS for the current year.

United Rentals Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, May 27th. Investors of record on Wednesday, May 13th will be given a dividend of $1.97 per share. This represents a $7.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, May 13th. United Rentals’s dividend payout ratio is 20.10%.

United Rentals declared that its board has authorized a share repurchase plan on Wednesday, January 28th that permits the company to repurchase $5.00 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization permits the construction company to purchase up to 8.7% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase plans are often an indication that the company’s board of directors believes its stock is undervalued.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts have weighed in on the company. Sanford C. Bernstein set a $903.00 price target on United Rentals and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, April 9th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on United Rentals from $850.00 to $1,050.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, April 24th. Morgan Stanley reiterated an “overweight” rating and issued a $1,030.00 price target on shares of United Rentals in a report on Friday, April 24th. Weiss Ratings downgraded United Rentals from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a report on Monday. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada boosted their price target on United Rentals from $1,041.00 to $1,119.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, April 24th. Thirteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $986.35.

Insider Buying and Selling at United Rentals

In other United Rentals news, CEO Matthew John Flannery sold 22,768 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, April 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $984.98, for a total value of $22,426,024.64. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 99,980 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $98,478,300.40. This represents a 18.55% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, VP Andrew B. Limoges sold 548 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, April 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $977.86, for a total transaction of $535,867.28. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president directly owned 1,865 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,823,708.90. The trade was a 22.71% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold a total of 26,088 shares of company stock valued at $25,628,877 in the last quarter. Company insiders own 0.47% of the company’s stock.

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.