Board of the Pension Protection Fund Takes $634,000 Position in United Rentals, Inc. (NYSE:URI)

Board of the Pension Protection Fund purchased a new position in shares of United Rentals, Inc. (NYSE:URI - Free Report) in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund purchased 900 shares of the construction company's stock, valued at approximately $634,000.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Mayflower Financial Advisors LLC lifted its position in United Rentals by 4.0% in the 3rd quarter. Mayflower Financial Advisors LLC now owns 339 shares of the construction company's stock worth $274,000 after buying an additional 13 shares during the last quarter. Allen Capital Group LLC lifted its holdings in shares of United Rentals by 4.2% in the 3rd quarter. Allen Capital Group LLC now owns 324 shares of the construction company's stock worth $262,000 after acquiring an additional 13 shares during the last quarter. First County Bank CT lifted its holdings in shares of United Rentals by 3.2% in the 3rd quarter. First County Bank CT now owns 422 shares of the construction company's stock worth $342,000 after acquiring an additional 13 shares during the last quarter. IAM Advisory LLC boosted its stake in shares of United Rentals by 1.6% in the 3rd quarter. IAM Advisory LLC now owns 900 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $729,000 after purchasing an additional 14 shares in the last quarter. Finally, CVA Family Office LLC grew its holdings in shares of United Rentals by 1.7% during the 3rd quarter. CVA Family Office LLC now owns 844 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $683,000 after purchasing an additional 14 shares during the last quarter. 96.26% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

United Rentals Trading Up 1.6 %

NYSE:URI traded up $11.84 during trading hours on Wednesday, hitting $741.70. The company had a trading volume of 933,280 shares, compared to its average volume of 742,431. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.38, a current ratio of 0.82 and a quick ratio of 0.77. United Rentals, Inc. has a 52 week low of $545.16 and a 52 week high of $896.98. The company has a market capitalization of $48.67 billion, a PE ratio of 19.37, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.83 and a beta of 1.69. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $785.71 and a 200 day moving average price of $760.02.

United Rentals (NYSE:URI - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, October 23rd. The construction company reported $11.80 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $12.49 by ($0.69). United Rentals had a net margin of 17.12% and a return on equity of 34.73%. The company had revenue of $3.99 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $4.01 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $11.73 EPS. United Rentals's quarterly revenue was up 6.0% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts predict that United Rentals, Inc. will post 43.46 EPS for the current fiscal year.

United Rentals Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, November 27th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, November 13th were paid a $1.63 dividend. This represents a $6.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.88%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, November 13th. United Rentals's payout ratio is presently 17.03%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

URI has been the subject of several recent research reports. Citigroup lowered their price target on shares of United Rentals from $985.00 to $835.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday. Baird R W raised United Rentals from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on United Rentals from $780.00 to $940.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Monday, September 23rd. Robert W. Baird upgraded United Rentals from an "underperform" rating to a "neutral" rating and set a $658.00 price objective for the company in a research report on Tuesday. Finally, Bank of America increased their price objective on United Rentals from $800.00 to $910.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, October 24th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have assigned a hold rating and ten have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, United Rentals presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $805.25.

Insider Activity at United Rentals

In other United Rentals news, SVP Anthony S. Leopold sold 900 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, October 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $823.24, for a total value of $740,916.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 2,044 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,682,702.56. This represents a 30.57 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. 0.53% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

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.