SFE Investment Counsel Boosts Holdings in United Rentals, Inc. (NYSE:URI)

SFE Investment Counsel lifted its stake in United Rentals, Inc. (NYSE:URI) by 45.1% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 4,451 shares of the construction company’s stock after purchasing an additional 1,384 shares during the period. SFE Investment Counsel’s holdings in United Rentals were worth $2,552,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC lifted its position in shares of United Rentals by 6.4% in the 3rd quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC now owns 21,568 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $9,588,000 after purchasing an additional 1,304 shares during the period. Louisiana State Employees Retirement System purchased a new position in United Rentals during the 4th quarter valued at about $2,351,000. Graybill Wealth Management LTD. boosted its stake in United Rentals by 0.6% during the third quarter. Graybill Wealth Management LTD. now owns 9,487 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $4,218,000 after acquiring an additional 58 shares in the last quarter. Pinnacle Associates Ltd. boosted its stake in United Rentals by 55.5% during the fourth quarter. Pinnacle Associates Ltd. now owns 6,413 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $3,677,000 after acquiring an additional 2,289 shares in the last quarter. Finally, AEGON ASSET MANAGEMENT UK Plc bought a new stake in United Rentals during the fourth quarter worth about $22,529,000. 96.26% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Transactions at United Rentals

In related news, CFO William E. Grace sold 775 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $655.62, for a total transaction of $508,105.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 6,323 shares in the company, valued at $4,145,485.26. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 0.53% of the company’s stock.

United Rentals Stock Performance

URI stock traded down $2.45 during midday trading on Thursday, reaching $633.77. 335,095 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 576,781. United Rentals, Inc. has a 52-week low of $325.15 and a 52-week high of $732.37. The stock has a market cap of $42.57 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.05, a PEG ratio of 2.27 and a beta of 1.84. The company has a current ratio of 0.81, a quick ratio of 0.75 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.24. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $680.66 and its 200 day moving average is $568.62.

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

United Rentals declared that its board has approved a stock buyback plan on Wednesday, January 24th that allows the company to buyback $1.50 billion in shares. This buyback authorization allows the construction company to reacquire up to 3.8% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback plans are usually a sign that the company’s leadership believes its shares are undervalued.

United Rentals Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, February 28th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, February 14th were paid a $1.63 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, February 13th. This is a boost from United Rentals’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.48. This represents a $6.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.03%. United Rentals’s dividend payout ratio is 18.44%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts recently commented on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price objective on shares of United Rentals from $630.00 to $710.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, January 26th. BNP Paribas reiterated an “underperform” rating and issued a $485.00 target price on shares of United Rentals in a research note on Friday, January 5th. The Goldman Sachs Group upped their target price on shares of United Rentals from $718.00 to $790.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday. Robert W. Baird upped their target price on shares of United Rentals from $322.00 to $559.00 and gave the stock an “underperform” rating in a research note on Friday, January 26th. Finally, Morgan Stanley started coverage on shares of United Rentals in a research note on Monday, January 8th. They issued an “equal weight” rating and a $500.00 target price on the stock. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, four have issued a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $589.21.

About United Rentals

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.