United Rentals, Inc. (NYSE:URI) Position Lessened by Lee Danner & Bass Inc.

Lee Danner & Bass Inc. cut its holdings in shares of United Rentals, Inc. (NYSE:URI) by 3.1% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 32,891 shares of the construction company’s stock after selling 1,050 shares during the period. United Rentals accounts for 1.6% of Lee Danner & Bass Inc.’s portfolio, making the stock its 9th biggest position. Lee Danner & Bass Inc.’s holdings in United Rentals were worth $18,860,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the business. OFI Invest Asset Management purchased a new stake in United Rentals in the third quarter worth $25,000. AdvisorNet Financial Inc boosted its holdings in United Rentals by 71.4% in the fourth quarter. AdvisorNet Financial Inc now owns 48 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $28,000 after acquiring an additional 20 shares in the last quarter. NBC Securities Inc. bought a new stake in United Rentals in the third quarter worth $29,000. Annis Gardner Whiting Capital Advisors LLC bought a new stake in United Rentals in the third quarter worth $40,000. Finally, Arlington Trust Co LLC boosted its holdings in United Rentals by 50.0% in the fourth quarter. Arlington Trust Co LLC now owns 84 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $48,000 after acquiring an additional 28 shares in the last quarter. 96.26% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CFO William E. Grace sold 775 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $655.62, for a total transaction of $508,105.50. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 6,323 shares in the company, valued at $4,145,485.26. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. 0.49% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts have commented on the company. BNP Paribas reissued an “underperform” rating and issued a $485.00 target price on shares of United Rentals in a report on Friday, January 5th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their target price on United Rentals from $630.00 to $710.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, January 26th. Robert W. Baird boosted their target price on United Rentals from $322.00 to $559.00 and gave the stock an “underperform” rating in a report on Friday, January 26th. Evercore ISI boosted their target price on United Rentals from $575.00 to $740.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 20th. Finally, Barclays upped their price target on United Rentals from $325.00 to $400.00 and gave the company an “underweight” rating in a report on Friday, January 26th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, four have given a hold rating and six have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $589.21.

United Rentals Stock Performance

URI traded up $0.13 during midday trading on Monday, reaching $628.47. The company had a trading volume of 319,589 shares, compared to its average volume of 575,432. The company has a quick ratio of 0.75, a current ratio of 0.81 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.24. The business has a 50-day moving average of $679.93 and a two-hundred day moving average of $572.43. The company has a market cap of $42.21 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.77, a P/E/G ratio of 2.18 and a beta of 1.84. United Rentals, Inc. has a 1 year low of $325.15 and a 1 year high of $732.37.

United Rentals (NYSE:URI) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, January 24th. The construction company reported $11.26 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $10.85 by $0.41. United Rentals had a return on equity of 36.80% and a net margin of 16.91%. The business had revenue of $3.73 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.63 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $9.74 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 13.1% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts predict that United Rentals, Inc. will post 43.13 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

United Rentals declared that its Board of Directors has approved a share repurchase plan on Wednesday, January 24th that permits the company to buyback $1.50 billion in shares. This buyback authorization permits the construction company to repurchase up to 3.8% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback plans 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 28th. Investors of record on Wednesday, February 14th were given a dividend of $1.63 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, February 13th. This represents a $6.52 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.04%. This is a boost from United Rentals’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.48. United Rentals’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 18.44%.

United Rentals Company 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.