Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria S.A. Has $4.19 Million Stake in United Rentals, Inc. $URI

Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria S.A. lowered its position in United Rentals, Inc. (NYSE:URI) by 23.7% in the third quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 4,389 shares of the construction company’s stock after selling 1,363 shares during the period. Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria S.A.’s holdings in United Rentals were worth $4,188,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. Loomis Sayles & Co. L P bought a new position in United Rentals in the 2nd quarter valued at $28,000. Salomon & Ludwin LLC boosted its stake in United Rentals by 650.0% in the third quarter. Salomon & Ludwin LLC now owns 30 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 26 shares in the last quarter. Abich Financial Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of United Rentals during the third quarter worth $29,000. Cedar Mountain Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of United Rentals in the third quarter valued at $32,000. Finally, Steigerwald Gordon & Koch Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of United Rentals in the third quarter valued at $40,000. 96.26% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

United Rentals Stock Performance

United Rentals stock opened at $743.02 on Tuesday. The company has a market cap of $46.81 billion, a PE ratio of 19.21, a PEG ratio of 1.19 and a beta of 1.66. The company has a current ratio of 0.94, a quick ratio of 0.88 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.41. United Rentals, Inc. has a 1 year low of $525.91 and a 1 year high of $1,021.47. The company’s 50-day moving average is $864.82 and its two-hundred day moving average is $878.98.

United Rentals (NYSE:URI) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, January 28th. The construction company reported $11.09 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $11.86 by ($0.77). The business had revenue of $4.21 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.24 billion. United Rentals had a return on equity of 30.35% and a net margin of 15.49%.During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $11.59 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 2.8% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts anticipate that United Rentals, Inc. will post 44.8 earnings per share for the current year.

United Rentals declared that its Board of Directors has initiated a share buyback program on Wednesday, January 28th that authorizes the company to buyback $5.00 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the construction company to buy up to 8.7% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are typically an indication that the company’s management believes its shares are undervalued.

United Rentals Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, February 25th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, February 11th were issued a dividend of $1.97 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, February 11th. This represents a $7.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.1%. This is a boost from United Rentals’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.79. United Rentals’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 20.37%.

Insider Buying and Selling at United Rentals

In other news, EVP Michael D. Durand sold 2,490 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, February 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $791.14, for a total value of $1,969,938.60. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 7,458 shares in the company, valued at $5,900,322.12. This trade represents a 25.03% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, EVP William E. Grace sold 1,498 shares of United Rentals stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $790.89, for a total value of $1,184,753.22. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 6,872 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,434,996.08. This trade represents a 17.90% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders own 0.51% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts recently issued reports on URI shares. Sanford C. Bernstein set a $965.00 price target on shares of United Rentals in a research report on Friday, January 30th. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of United Rentals in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. Citigroup dropped their target price on shares of United Rentals from $1,090.00 to $950.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their target price on shares of United Rentals from $1,150.00 to $970.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, January 30th. Finally, Robert W. Baird set a $970.00 price target on shares of United Rentals in a research note on Friday, January 30th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have issued a Buy rating, three have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $925.59.

United Rentals Profile

United Rentals, Inc (NYSE: URI) is a leading equipment rental company headquartered in Stamford, Connecticut. The firm provides rental solutions and related services to construction, industrial, commercial, and municipal customers. Its business model centers on providing access to a broad fleet of equipment on a short-term or long-term basis, enabling customers to avoid the capital expenditure of ownership and to scale equipment use to match project needs.

The company’s product and service offerings span general construction equipment and a range of specialty categories, including aerial work platforms, earthmoving and excavation machines, material handling equipment, pumps, power and HVAC systems, trench and shoring solutions, and tools.