Sapient Capital LLC Decreases Position in United Rentals, Inc. $URI

Sapient Capital LLC decreased its holdings in United Rentals, Inc. (NYSE:URI) by 17.8% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 10,765 shares of the construction company’s stock after selling 2,333 shares during the period. Sapient Capital LLC’s holdings in United Rentals were worth $7,841,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the stock. Core Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in United Rentals in the fourth quarter valued at $28,000. MV Capital Management Inc. acquired a new position in United Rentals during the 4th quarter worth $28,000. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in United Rentals during the 4th quarter worth about $32,000. Hilton Head Capital Partners LLC purchased a new stake in United Rentals during the 4th quarter worth about $34,000. Finally, Frazier Financial Advisors LLC raised its position in United Rentals by 33.3% in the 1st quarter. Frazier Financial Advisors LLC now owns 56 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $41,000 after purchasing an additional 14 shares in the last quarter. 96.26% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

United Rentals Price Performance

Shares of NYSE URI opened at $1,080.77 on Monday. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $1,067.76 and its 200-day simple moving average is $925.23. The firm has a market capitalization of $67.27 billion, a PE ratio of 25.96, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.40 and a beta of 1.79. United Rentals, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $701.59 and a fifty-two week high of $1,177.67. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.38, a quick ratio of 0.70 and a current ratio of 0.76.

United Rentals (NYSE:URI) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 21st. The construction company reported $12.76 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $11.53 by $1.23. The firm had revenue of $4.41 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.22 billion. United Rentals had a return on equity of 31.72% and a net margin of 15.67%.The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 11.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $10.47 earnings per share. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that United Rentals, Inc. will post 48.35 EPS for the current fiscal year.

United Rentals Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, August 26th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, August 12th will be issued a $1.97 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, August 12th. This represents a $7.88 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.7%. United Rentals’s dividend payout ratio is presently 18.92%.

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP William E. Grace sold 1,500 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, July 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,133.15, for a total value of $1,699,725.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 6,062 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,869,155.30. This trade represents a 19.84% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.47% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts have recently issued reports on URI shares. Evercore reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $1,101.00 price objective on shares of United Rentals in a research note on Monday, May 11th. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of United Rentals from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research note on Thursday, July 23rd. Citigroup raised their target price on shares of United Rentals from $1,270.00 to $1,330.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, July 24th. Morgan Stanley set a $1,335.00 price objective on shares of United Rentals and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, July 24th. Finally, KeyCorp restated an “overweight” rating and issued a $1,350.00 price objective on shares of United Rentals in a report on Friday, July 24th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have assigned a Buy rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, United Rentals currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $1,226.50.

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.