Shell Asset Management Co. Boosts Holdings in United Rentals, Inc. (NYSE:URI)

Shell Asset Management Co. grew its position in United Rentals, Inc. (NYSE:URI) by 0.3% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 9,936 shares of the construction company’s stock after acquiring an additional 34 shares during the period. Shell Asset Management Co.’s holdings in United Rentals were worth $6,999,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors have also modified their holdings of URI. Rialto Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of United Rentals during the 4th quarter worth about $25,000. Murphy & Mullick Capital Management Corp acquired a new stake in United Rentals in the 4th quarter valued at about $27,000. Meeder Asset Management Inc. raised its holdings in United Rentals by 241.7% in the 4th quarter. Meeder Asset Management Inc. now owns 41 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $29,000 after acquiring an additional 29 shares during the last quarter. Hanson & Doremus Investment Management acquired a new stake in United Rentals in the 4th quarter valued at about $33,000. Finally, Kestra Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in United Rentals in the 4th quarter valued at about $34,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 96.26% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts have commented on URI shares. Cfra Research upgraded shares of United Rentals to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Friday, April 25th. Citigroup dropped their price target on shares of United Rentals from $720.00 to $650.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, April 8th. Bank of America dropped their price target on shares of United Rentals from $850.00 to $750.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, March 21st. Morgan Stanley upgraded shares of United Rentals from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and set a $702.00 target price for the company in a report on Wednesday, April 16th. Finally, Truist Financial lifted their target price on shares of United Rentals from $732.00 to $786.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, April 25th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating, nine have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $725.69.

United Rentals Trading Up 0.0%

NYSE:URI opened at $713.37 on Friday. United Rentals, Inc. has a one year low of $525.91 and a one year high of $896.98. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.42, a quick ratio of 0.92 and a current ratio of 0.98. The stock has a market cap of $46.37 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.41, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.43 and a beta of 1.70. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $624.24 and its 200 day simple moving average is $711.53.

United Rentals (NYSE:URI) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 23rd. The construction company reported $8.86 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $8.92 by ($0.06). The firm had revenue of $3.72 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.61 billion. United Rentals had a net margin of 16.78% and a return on equity of 34.21%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 6.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $9.15 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that United Rentals, Inc. will post 44.8 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

United Rentals Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, May 28th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, May 14th will be paid a $1.79 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, May 14th. This represents a $7.16 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.00%. United Rentals’s payout ratio is currently 18.54%.

Insider Activity

In related news, CFO William E. Grace sold 1,100 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $638.10, for a total transaction of $701,910.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 6,880 shares in the company, valued at $4,390,128. This trade represents a 13.78% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, VP Andrew B. Limoges sold 708 shares of United Rentals stock in a transaction on Monday, May 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $705.86, for a total value of $499,748.88. Following the transaction, the vice president now owns 1,921 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,355,957.06. This trade represents a 26.93% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 2,908 shares of company stock valued at $1,890,567. Insiders own 0.53% of the company’s stock.

About United Rentals

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.