United Rentals, Inc. $URI Stock Position Trimmed by Argent Capital Management LLC

Argent Capital Management LLC lessened its holdings in United Rentals, Inc. (NYSE:URI) by 2.9% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 115,559 shares of the construction company’s stock after selling 3,488 shares during the quarter. United Rentals accounts for 2.7% of Argent Capital Management LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 10th largest position. Argent Capital Management LLC owned approximately 0.18% of United Rentals worth $93,524,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Loomis Sayles & Co. L P purchased a new position in United Rentals in the second quarter valued at about $28,000. Salomon & Ludwin LLC increased its stake in shares of United Rentals by 650.0% during the 3rd quarter. Salomon & Ludwin LLC now owns 30 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 26 shares during the last quarter. Abich Financial Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of United Rentals during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $29,000. Cedar Mountain Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of United Rentals in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $32,000. Finally, KERR FINANCIAL PLANNING Corp bought a new stake in shares of United Rentals in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $35,000. 96.26% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insider Activity at United Rentals

In related news, EVP Michael D. Durand sold 2,490 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $791.14, for a total transaction of $1,969,938.60. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 7,458 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,900,322.12. This represents a 25.03% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP William E. Grace sold 1,498 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $790.89, for a total transaction of $1,184,753.22. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 6,872 shares in the company, valued at $5,434,996.08. This represents a 17.90% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 0.53% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

United Rentals Stock Performance

NYSE:URI opened at $720.91 on Friday. The business’s fifty day moving average is $854.75 and its 200 day moving average is $875.33. The firm has a market cap of $45.42 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.64, a PEG ratio of 1.17 and a beta of 1.66. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.41, a quick ratio of 0.88 and a current ratio of 0.94. United Rentals, Inc. has a 52-week low of $525.91 and a 52-week high of $1,021.47.

United Rentals (NYSE:URI) last issued its 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). United Rentals had a return on equity of 30.35% and a net margin of 15.49%.The company had revenue of $4.21 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.24 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $11.59 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.8% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts predict that United Rentals, Inc. will post 44.8 EPS for the current year.

United Rentals announced that its board has initiated a stock buyback plan on Wednesday, January 28th that allows the company to buyback $5.00 billion in shares. This buyback authorization allows the construction company to buy up to 8.7% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback plans are usually a sign that the company’s board believes its shares are undervalued.

United Rentals Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, February 25th. Investors of record on Wednesday, February 11th were paid a dividend of $1.97 per share. This is an increase from United Rentals’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.79. This represents a $7.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, February 11th. United Rentals’s dividend payout ratio is presently 20.37%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several brokerages have weighed in on URI. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price objective on United Rentals from $995.00 to $1,071.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, January 23rd. UBS Group raised United Rentals from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $1,025.00 price target on the stock in a research report on Sunday, January 4th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of United Rentals in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. Robert W. Baird set a $970.00 price objective on United Rentals in a research note on Friday, January 30th. Finally, Citigroup dropped their price objective on shares of United Rentals from $1,090.00 to $950.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, February 2nd. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have given a Buy rating, three have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, United Rentals has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $925.59.

About United Rentals

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.