United Rentals, Inc. (NYSE:URI) Shares Bought by Metis Global Partners LLC

Metis Global Partners LLC grew its stake in shares of United Rentals, Inc. (NYSE:URI) by 5.4% in the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund owned 2,830 shares of the construction company’s stock after purchasing an additional 145 shares during the period. Metis Global Partners LLC’s holdings in United Rentals were worth $1,994,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. ORG Wealth Partners LLC purchased a new stake in United Rentals during the fourth quarter worth $26,000. Carmichael Hill & Associates Inc. boosted its position in shares of United Rentals by 80.0% in the 3rd quarter. Carmichael Hill & Associates Inc. now owns 45 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $36,000 after buying an additional 20 shares in the last quarter. Hanson & Doremus Investment Management acquired a new stake in United Rentals in the 4th quarter valued at about $33,000. Kestra Investment Management LLC purchased a new position in United Rentals during the 4th quarter valued at about $34,000. Finally, HM Payson & Co. purchased a new stake in shares of United Rentals in the third quarter valued at about $41,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 96.26% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages have recently weighed in on URI. Morgan Stanley dropped their price objective on shares of United Rentals from $775.00 to $765.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, February 3rd. Baird R W raised United Rentals from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 14th. Citigroup decreased their price objective on United Rentals from $985.00 to $835.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, January 14th. Truist Financial restated a “buy” rating and issued a $956.00 target price (down from $963.00) on shares of United Rentals in a report on Friday, January 31st. Finally, Evercore ISI cut their price objective on shares of United Rentals from $1,004.00 to $974.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, February 19th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have given a hold rating and nine have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $829.00.

Insider Transactions at United Rentals

In related news, CFO William E. Grace sold 1,100 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $638.10, for a total transaction of $701,910.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 6,880 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,390,128. The trade was a 13.78 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.53% of the company’s stock.

United Rentals Trading Up 1.5 %

NYSE URI opened at $642.49 on Monday. The firm has a market capitalization of $41.96 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.58, a PEG ratio of 1.43 and a beta of 1.68. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.42, a quick ratio of 0.92 and a current ratio of 0.98. United Rentals, Inc. has a one year low of $596.48 and a one year high of $896.98. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $721.43 and its 200 day moving average price is $768.65.

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

United Rentals Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, February 26th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, February 12th were paid a dividend of $1.79 per share. This represents a $7.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.11%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, February 12th. This is a boost from United Rentals’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.63. United Rentals’s payout ratio is currently 18.48%.

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.