Keystone Investors PTE Ltd. Has $242,000 Stock Position in United Rentals, Inc. $URI

Keystone Investors PTE Ltd. lessened its stake in shares of United Rentals, Inc. (NYSE:URI) by 83.8% during the third quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 253 shares of the construction company’s stock after selling 1,308 shares during the quarter. Keystone Investors PTE Ltd.’s holdings in United Rentals were worth $242,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Woodline Partners LP grew its stake in United Rentals by 40.0% in the first quarter. Woodline Partners LP now owns 5,518 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $3,458,000 after acquiring an additional 1,577 shares during the period. Brighton Jones LLC raised its position in shares of United Rentals by 4.8% during the second quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 528 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $397,000 after purchasing an additional 24 shares during the period. Advisory Alpha LLC bought a new position in shares of United Rentals in the 2nd quarter worth $233,000. Howard Capital Management Inc. grew its position in United Rentals by 7.6% in the 2nd quarter. Howard Capital Management Inc. now owns 383 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $289,000 after purchasing an additional 27 shares during the period. Finally, Jennison Associates LLC bought a new stake in United Rentals during the 2nd quarter valued at $22,869,000. 96.26% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

United Rentals Stock Performance

URI stock opened at $837.85 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.88, a current ratio of 0.94 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.41. The firm has a market cap of $52.78 billion, a PE ratio of 21.66, a P/E/G ratio of 1.39 and a beta of 1.70. The business has a 50 day moving average of $871.81 and a 200-day moving average of $889.52. United Rentals, Inc. has a 12-month low of $525.91 and a 12-month high of $1,021.47.

United Rentals (NYSE:URI) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 28th. The construction company reported $11.09 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $11.86 by ($0.77). United Rentals had a net margin of 15.49% and a return on equity of 30.35%. The business had revenue of $4.21 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.24 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $11.59 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.8% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that United Rentals, Inc. will post 44.8 earnings per share for the current year.

United Rentals Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, February 25th. Investors of record on Wednesday, February 11th were issued a dividend of $1.97 per share. This represents a $7.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.9%. This is a boost from United Rentals’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.79. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, February 11th. United Rentals’s dividend payout ratio is 20.37%.

United Rentals declared that its Board of Directors has approved a share repurchase plan on Wednesday, January 28th that permits the company to buyback $5.00 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization permits the construction company to reacquire up to 8.7% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback plans are often a sign that the company’s board of directors believes its shares are undervalued.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

URI has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price objective on shares of United Rentals from $1,150.00 to $970.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Friday, January 30th. Robert W. Baird set a $970.00 price target on United Rentals in a research note on Friday, January 30th. Royal Bank Of Canada lowered their price objective on United Rentals from $1,123.00 to $1,041.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, January 30th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their target price on United Rentals from $995.00 to $1,071.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, January 23rd. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of United Rentals in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. 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 assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, United Rentals has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $925.59.

Insider Transactions at United Rentals

In other news, EVP Michael D. Durand sold 2,490 shares of the 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 completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 7,458 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $5,900,322.12. This represents a 25.03% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP William E. Grace sold 1,498 shares of United Rentals 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 directly owned 6,872 shares in the company, valued at $5,434,996.08. This trade represents a 17.90% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Company insiders own 0.53% of the company’s stock.

United Rentals Profile

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.