Insider Selling: United Rentals (NYSE:URI) EVP Sells 1,498 Shares of Stock

United Rentals, Inc. (NYSE:URI) EVP William Grace sold 1,498 shares of United Rentals stock in a transaction dated 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 completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 6,872 shares in the company, valued at $5,434,996.08. This represents a 17.90% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink.

United Rentals Trading Down 2.6%

NYSE URI traded down $23.30 on Monday, hitting $876.25. 663,240 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 804,516. The company has a market capitalization of $55.20 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.65, a P/E/G ratio of 1.44 and a beta of 1.70. United Rentals, Inc. has a 52-week low of $525.91 and a 52-week high of $1,021.47. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.41, a current ratio of 0.94 and a quick ratio of 0.88. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $851.62 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $889.72.

United Rentals (NYSE:URI) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 28th. The construction company reported $11.09 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates 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%.The company’s revenue was up 2.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $11.59 earnings per share. Research analysts predict that United Rentals, Inc. will post 44.8 EPS for the current year.

United Rentals Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, February 25th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, February 11th will be paid a dividend of $1.97 per share. This is a boost from United Rentals’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.79. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, February 11th. This represents a $7.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.9%. United Rentals’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 20.37%.

United Rentals announced that its Board of Directors has initiated a stock buyback plan on Wednesday, January 28th that permits the company to buyback $5.00 billion in shares. This buyback authorization permits the construction company to repurchase up to 8.7% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback plans are often an indication that the company’s board of directors believes its shares are undervalued.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On United Rentals

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Aventura Private Wealth LLC bought a new position in United Rentals during the 4th quarter worth about $27,000. Loomis Sayles & Co. L P acquired a new position in shares of United Rentals during the second quarter worth about $28,000. Salomon & Ludwin LLC raised its position in United Rentals by 650.0% in the 3rd quarter. Salomon & Ludwin LLC now owns 30 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $29,000 after buying an additional 26 shares during the last quarter. Abich Financial Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in United Rentals during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $29,000. Finally, Cedar Mountain Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of United Rentals in the third quarter valued at approximately $32,000. 96.26% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts have recently issued reports on URI shares. Robert W. Baird set a $970.00 price target on United Rentals in a research note on Friday, January 30th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price objective on United Rentals from $1,150.00 to $970.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, January 30th. Royal Bank Of Canada lowered their target price on shares of United Rentals from $1,123.00 to $1,041.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, January 30th. KeyCorp set a $950.00 target price on shares of United Rentals in a research note on Friday, January 30th. Finally, Citigroup cut their price objective on United Rentals from $1,090.00 to $950.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, February 2nd. Two investment 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. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus 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.