Herc (NYSE:HRI) Trading Up 7.6% – Should You Buy?

Herc Holdings Inc. (NYSE:HRI) was up 7.6% during trading on Wednesday . The stock traded as high as $159.74 and last traded at $161.1850. Approximately 15,148 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 97% from the average daily volume of 488,473 shares. The stock had previously closed at $149.81.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts have recently commented on the stock. Citigroup increased their target price on shares of Herc from $170.00 to $195.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 13th. Robert W. Baird set a $200.00 price objective on shares of Herc in a report on Wednesday, October 29th. Wall Street Zen upgraded Herc from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Sunday, November 2nd. Barclays lifted their price objective on Herc from $160.00 to $175.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, January 23rd. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on Herc from $150.00 to $165.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 14th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have assigned a Buy rating, two have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $181.43.

Herc Stock Performance

The stock has a fifty day moving average of $153.03 and a 200-day moving average of $136.91. The company has a quick ratio of 1.22, a current ratio of 1.22 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.28. The stock has a market capitalization of $5.52 billion, a PE ratio of -65.82, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.39 and a beta of 1.77.

Herc Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 26th. Shareholders of record on Monday, December 15th were paid a $0.70 dividend. This represents a $2.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.7%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, December 15th. Herc’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is -111.11%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Herc

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. AlphaQuest LLC boosted its position in Herc by 20.3% during the third quarter. AlphaQuest LLC now owns 438 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $51,000 after purchasing an additional 74 shares in the last quarter. Midwest Financial Group LLC grew its holdings in Herc by 3.6% during the 4th quarter. Midwest Financial Group LLC now owns 2,153 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $319,000 after buying an additional 75 shares during the last quarter. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. increased its position in Herc by 53.1% during the third quarter. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. now owns 248 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $29,000 after buying an additional 86 shares in the last quarter. Salem Investment Counselors Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Herc by 0.4% in the third quarter. Salem Investment Counselors Inc. now owns 21,721 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $2,534,000 after acquiring an additional 95 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Cornerstone Investment Partners LLC lifted its position in shares of Herc by 2.3% in the third quarter. Cornerstone Investment Partners LLC now owns 4,310 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $503,000 after acquiring an additional 97 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 93.11% of the company’s stock.

About Herc

Herc Holdings Inc (NYSE: HRI) operates as a leading equipment rental provider in North America, offering a wide range of machinery and support services to construction, industrial, government and event sectors. The company’s fleet includes aerial work platforms, earthmoving equipment, material handling solutions, power generation units and specialty tools, enabling clients to scale their operations without the capital expense of ownership. In addition to basic machinery rentals, Herc provides value-added services such as equipment maintenance, on-site safety training and project consulting to help customers optimize productivity and maintain compliance with industry standards.

Founded as part of Hertz Global Holdings, the equipment rental business was spun off as an independent public company in early 2016.