United Rentals, Inc. (NYSE:URI) Given Consensus Recommendation of “Hold” by Brokerages

Shares of United Rentals, Inc. (NYSE:URI) have been assigned an average recommendation of “Hold” from the sixteen ratings firms that are covering the firm, Marketbeat.com reports. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, four have assigned a hold rating and nine have given a buy rating to the company. The average 1-year price objective among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $742.50.

Several research firms have commented on URI. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price objective on shares of United Rentals from $780.00 to $940.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, September 23rd. Evercore ISI lifted their price objective on shares of United Rentals from $774.00 to $795.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, August 19th. Barclays boosted their price target on shares of United Rentals from $400.00 to $565.00 and gave the company an “underweight” rating in a research report on Friday, October 25th. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their price objective on shares of United Rentals from $790.00 to $905.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, July 26th. Finally, Citigroup boosted their price target on shares of United Rentals from $930.00 to $955.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, October 25th.

United Rentals Stock Up 0.2 %

Shares of NYSE:URI opened at $813.37 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.38, a quick ratio of 0.77 and a current ratio of 0.82. United Rentals has a 52-week low of $395.44 and a 52-week high of $861.74. The company has a market capitalization of $53.37 billion, a PE ratio of 21.24, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.87 and a beta of 1.68. The company has a fifty day moving average of $780.36 and a 200-day moving average of $711.80.

United Rentals (NYSE:URI) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, October 23rd. The construction company reported $11.80 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $12.49 by ($0.69). United Rentals had a net margin of 17.12% and a return on equity of 34.73%. The firm had revenue of $3.99 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.01 billion. During the same period last year, the company posted $11.73 EPS. The business’s revenue was up 6.0% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts predict that United Rentals will post 44.31 EPS for the current fiscal year.

United Rentals Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, November 27th. Investors of record on Wednesday, November 13th will be paid a dividend of $1.63 per share. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, November 13th. This represents a $6.52 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.80%. United Rentals’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 17.03%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other United Rentals news, SVP Anthony S. Leopold sold 900 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, October 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $823.24, for a total transaction of $740,916.00. Following the sale, the senior vice president now owns 2,044 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,682,702.56. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. 0.49% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On United Rentals

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in URI. Crewe Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of United Rentals in the first quarter valued at about $27,000. RFP Financial Group LLC boosted its stake in shares of United Rentals by 115.8% in the second quarter. RFP Financial Group LLC now owns 41 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 22 shares during the period. E Fund Management Hong Kong Co. Ltd. purchased a new position in shares of United Rentals in the third quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Carmichael Hill & Associates Inc. raised its holdings in United Rentals by 80.0% in the third quarter. Carmichael Hill & Associates Inc. now owns 45 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $36,000 after acquiring an additional 20 shares in the last quarter. Finally, HHM Wealth Advisors LLC raised its holdings in United Rentals by 280.0% in the second quarter. HHM Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 57 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $37,000 after acquiring an additional 42 shares in the last quarter. 96.26% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.