United Rentals, Inc. (NYSE:URI) Shares Sold by Barings LLC

Barings LLC reduced its stake in United Rentals, Inc. (NYSE:URI) by 14.9% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 1,717 shares of the construction company’s stock after selling 301 shares during the period. Barings LLC’s holdings in United Rentals were worth $1,210,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Rialto Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in United Rentals in the fourth quarter valued at $25,000. ORG Wealth Partners LLC acquired a new stake in United Rentals in the fourth quarter valued at $26,000. Hanson & Doremus Investment Management acquired a new stake in United Rentals in the fourth quarter valued at $33,000. Kestra Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in United Rentals in the fourth quarter valued at $34,000. Finally, Promus Capital LLC acquired a new stake in United Rentals in the fourth quarter valued at $41,000. 96.26% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

United Rentals Stock Performance

NYSE URI opened at $628.63 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.92, a current ratio of 0.98 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.42. United Rentals, Inc. has a 52-week low of $585.27 and a 52-week high of $896.98. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $711.17 and its 200 day moving average price is $764.91. The firm has a market cap of $41.05 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.22, a P/E/G ratio of 1.43 and a beta of 1.76.

United Rentals (NYSE:URI) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, January 29th. The construction company reported $11.59 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $11.65 by ($0.06). United Rentals had a return on equity of 34.21% and a net margin of 16.78%. On average, equities research analysts expect that United Rentals, Inc. will post 44.8 earnings per share for the current year.

United Rentals Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, February 26th. Investors of record on Wednesday, February 12th were given a $1.79 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, February 12th. This represents a $7.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.14%. This is an increase from United Rentals’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.63. United Rentals’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 18.48%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

URI has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Evercore ISI cut their price target on United Rentals from $1,004.00 to $974.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, February 19th. Morgan Stanley dropped their price objective on United Rentals from $775.00 to $765.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, February 3rd. Robert W. Baird raised United Rentals from an “underperform” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $658.00 price objective on the stock in a report on Tuesday, January 14th. Citigroup dropped their price objective on United Rentals from $985.00 to $835.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, January 14th. Finally, Baird R W raised United Rentals from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 14th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have issued a hold rating and nine have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $829.00.

Insider Activity at United Rentals

In related news, CFO William E. Grace sold 1,100 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $638.10, for a total value of $701,910.00. Following the completion of the sale, 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 sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. 0.53% of the stock is owned by insiders.

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.