Advisors Asset Management Inc. Reduces Stock Holdings in United Rentals, Inc. (NYSE:URI)

Advisors Asset Management Inc. lessened its stake in shares of United Rentals, Inc. (NYSE:URI) by 11.0% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 13,016 shares of the construction company’s stock after selling 1,614 shares during the period. Advisors Asset Management Inc.’s holdings in United Rentals were worth $9,169,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of URI. Rialto Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of United Rentals during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $25,000. ORG Wealth Partners LLC bought a new stake in shares of United Rentals during the 4th quarter worth approximately $26,000. Hanson & Doremus Investment Management purchased a new position in United Rentals during the 4th quarter valued at $33,000. Kestra Investment Management LLC bought a new position in United Rentals in the 4th quarter valued at $34,000. Finally, OFI Invest Asset Management bought a new position in United Rentals in the 4th quarter valued at $36,000. 96.26% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

URI has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Morgan Stanley lowered their target price on shares of United Rentals from $775.00 to $765.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, February 3rd. Baird R W upgraded shares of United Rentals from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 14th. Robert W. Baird raised shares of United Rentals from an “underperform” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $658.00 price target for the company in a research note on Tuesday, January 14th. Evercore ISI dropped their price objective on United Rentals from $1,004.00 to $974.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, February 19th. Finally, Citigroup decreased their target price on United Rentals from $985.00 to $835.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, January 14th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have issued a hold rating and nine have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, United Rentals has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $829.00.

United Rentals Price Performance

Shares of URI stock opened at $608.51 on Wednesday. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $698.93 and its 200 day moving average is $758.97. United Rentals, Inc. has a 1-year low of $585.27 and a 1-year high of $896.98. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.42, a current ratio of 0.98 and a quick ratio of 0.92. The company has a market cap of $39.74 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.70, a PEG ratio of 1.43 and a beta of 1.76.

United Rentals (NYSE:URI) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, January 29th. The construction company reported $11.59 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $11.65 by ($0.06). United Rentals had a net margin of 16.78% and a return on equity of 34.21%. Research analysts predict that United Rentals, Inc. will post 44.8 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

United Rentals Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, February 26th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, February 12th were given a dividend of $1.79 per share. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, February 12th. This is an increase from United Rentals’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.63. This represents a $7.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.18%. United Rentals’s dividend payout ratio is presently 18.48%.

Insider Transactions at United Rentals

In other United Rentals news, CFO William E. Grace sold 1,100 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $638.10, for a total value of $701,910.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 6,880 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,390,128. This trade represents a 13.78 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.53% of the company’s stock.

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.