United Rentals, Inc. (NYSE:URI) Shares Sold by South Dakota Investment Council

South Dakota Investment Council trimmed its position in shares of United Rentals, Inc. (NYSE:URI) by 2.1% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 5,943 shares of the construction company’s stock after selling 125 shares during the quarter. South Dakota Investment Council’s holdings in United Rentals were worth $3,408,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in URI. OFI Invest Asset Management acquired a new position in shares of United Rentals during the third quarter worth about $25,000. AdvisorNet Financial Inc increased its stake in shares of United Rentals by 71.4% during the fourth quarter. AdvisorNet Financial Inc now owns 48 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $28,000 after acquiring an additional 20 shares during the period. NBC Securities Inc. acquired a new position in shares of United Rentals during the third quarter worth about $29,000. Larson Financial Group LLC increased its stake in shares of United Rentals by 1,525.0% during the fourth quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 65 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $37,000 after acquiring an additional 61 shares during the period. Finally, Annis Gardner Whiting Capital Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of United Rentals during the third quarter worth about $40,000. 96.26% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CFO William E. Grace sold 775 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $655.62, for a total transaction of $508,105.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 6,323 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,145,485.26. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. 0.53% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

United Rentals Stock Down 0.9 %

Shares of NYSE URI opened at $655.07 on Thursday. United Rentals, Inc. has a 12-month low of $325.15 and a 12-month high of $732.37. The company has a market capitalization of $44.00 billion, a PE ratio of 18.53, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.29 and a beta of 1.84. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.24, a current ratio of 0.81 and a quick ratio of 0.75. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $679.77 and its two-hundred day moving average is $576.07.

United Rentals (NYSE:URI) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 24th. The construction company reported $9.15 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $8.35 by $0.80. The business had revenue of $3.49 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.44 billion. United Rentals had a net margin of 16.91% and a return on equity of 36.80%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 6.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $7.95 earnings per share. Equities analysts anticipate that United Rentals, Inc. will post 43.13 EPS for the current fiscal year.

United Rentals declared that its Board of Directors has approved a stock repurchase program on Wednesday, January 24th that authorizes the company to buyback $1.50 billion in shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the construction company to buy up to 3.8% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are usually a sign that the company’s board believes its stock is undervalued.

United Rentals Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, May 22nd. Investors of record on Wednesday, May 8th will be given a dividend of $1.63 per share. This represents a $6.52 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.00%. United Rentals’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 18.44%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts have recently issued reports on URI shares. Morgan Stanley started coverage on shares of United Rentals in a research note on Monday, January 8th. They set an “equal weight” rating and a $500.00 price target on the stock. Barclays boosted their price objective on shares of United Rentals from $325.00 to $400.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a report on Friday, January 26th. Robert W. Baird boosted their price objective on shares of United Rentals from $322.00 to $559.00 and gave the stock an “underperform” rating in a report on Friday, January 26th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price objective on shares of United Rentals from $630.00 to $710.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, January 26th. Finally, BNP Paribas reissued an “underperform” rating and set a $485.00 price objective on shares of United Rentals in a report on Friday, January 5th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, four have issued a hold rating and six have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, United Rentals has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $589.21.

United Rentals Company Profile

United Rentals, Inc, through its subsidiaries, operates as an equipment rental company. It operates in two segments, General Rentals and Specialty. The General Rentals segment rents general construction and industrial equipment includes backhoes, skid-steer loaders, forklifts, earthmoving equipment, and material handling equipment; aerial work platforms, such as boom and scissor lifts; and general tools and light equipment comprising pressure washers, water pumps, and power tools for construction and industrial companies, manufacturers, utilities, municipalities, homeowners, and government entities.