Russell Investments Group Ltd. Raises Stock Holdings in United Rentals, Inc. (NYSE:URI)

Russell Investments Group Ltd. lifted its holdings in United Rentals, Inc. (NYSE:URI) by 1.5% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 63,913 shares of the construction company’s stock after buying an additional 936 shares during the quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd.’s holdings in United Rentals were worth $36,688,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of URI. OFI Invest Asset Management bought a new position in United Rentals in the third quarter worth approximately $25,000. AdvisorNet Financial Inc boosted its position in United Rentals by 71.4% during the 4th quarter. AdvisorNet Financial Inc now owns 48 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $28,000 after acquiring an additional 20 shares in the last quarter. NBC Securities Inc. bought a new stake in United Rentals during the 3rd quarter valued at $29,000. Larson Financial Group LLC boosted its position in United Rentals by 1,525.0% during the 4th quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 65 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $37,000 after acquiring an additional 61 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Annis Gardner Whiting Capital Advisors LLC bought a new stake in United Rentals during the 3rd quarter valued at $40,000. Institutional investors own 96.26% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages have issued reports on URI. Truist Financial increased their target price on United Rentals from $793.00 to $796.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday. Morgan Stanley began coverage on United Rentals in a research report on Monday, January 8th. They set an “equal weight” rating and a $500.00 target price on the stock. Robert W. Baird increased their target price on United Rentals from $322.00 to $559.00 and gave the company an “underperform” rating in a research report on Friday, January 26th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price objective on United Rentals from $630.00 to $710.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, January 26th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus raised their price objective on United Rentals from $720.00 to $750.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, April 26th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, five have given a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, United Rentals presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $600.79.

Insider Activity

In other news, CEO Matthew John Flannery sold 8,379 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, April 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $699.63, for a total value of $5,862,199.77. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 103,400 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $72,341,742. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. In related news, CFO William E. Grace sold 775 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $655.62, for a total value 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 approximately $4,145,485.26. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, CEO Matthew John Flannery sold 8,379 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, April 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $699.63, for a total value of $5,862,199.77. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 103,400 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $72,341,742. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 0.49% of the company’s stock.

United Rentals Stock Down 6.3 %

United Rentals stock opened at $667.82 on Wednesday. The company has a market cap of $44.47 billion, a PE ratio of 18.09, a PEG ratio of 2.33 and a beta of 1.84. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $682.42 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $582.31. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.39, a quick ratio of 0.83 and a current ratio of 0.89. United Rentals, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $325.15 and a fifty-two week high of $732.37.

United Rentals (NYSE:URI) last issued 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 during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.44 billion. United Rentals had a return on equity of 36.44% and a net margin of 17.31%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $7.95 EPS. Equities analysts anticipate that United Rentals, Inc. will post 43.39 EPS for the current year.

United Rentals Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, May 22nd. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, May 8th will be issued a $1.63 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, May 7th. This represents a $6.52 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.98%. United Rentals’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 17.66%.

United Rentals declared that its board has authorized a share repurchase program on Wednesday, January 24th that allows the company to repurchase $1.50 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization allows the construction company to reacquire up to 3.8% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase programs are often a sign that the company’s management believes its stock is undervalued.

United Rentals 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.