Epoch Investment Partners Inc. Purchases Shares of 33,032 United Rentals, Inc. (NYSE:URI)

Epoch Investment Partners Inc. purchased a new position in shares of United Rentals, Inc. (NYSE:URI - Free Report) in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund purchased 33,032 shares of the construction company's stock, valued at approximately $23,269,000. Epoch Investment Partners Inc. owned about 0.05% of United Rentals at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Rialto Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in United Rentals during the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. ORG Wealth Partners LLC purchased a new stake in shares of United Rentals in the fourth quarter valued at about $26,000. Murphy & Mullick Capital Management Corp purchased a new position in shares of United Rentals during the 4th quarter worth approximately $27,000. Meeder Asset Management Inc. lifted its holdings in United Rentals by 241.7% in the fourth quarter. Meeder Asset Management Inc. now owns 41 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $29,000 after acquiring an additional 29 shares during the period. Finally, Hanson & Doremus Investment Management purchased a new stake in United Rentals during the fourth quarter worth about $33,000. 96.26% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

United Rentals Stock Up 9.9 %

United Rentals stock traded up $58.45 during trading on Thursday, reaching $647.66. 1,534,797 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 747,981. United Rentals, Inc. has a 52-week low of $525.91 and a 52-week high of $896.98. The company's 50-day moving average is $619.53 and its two-hundred day moving average is $729.21. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.42, a quick ratio of 0.92 and a current ratio of 0.98. The firm has a market cap of $42.31 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.71, a PEG ratio of 1.43 and a beta of 1.72.

United Rentals (NYSE:URI - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 23rd. The construction company reported $8.86 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $8.92 by ($0.06). The business had revenue of $3.72 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.61 billion. United Rentals had a net margin of 16.78% and a return on equity of 34.21%. On average, analysts predict that United Rentals, Inc. will post 44.8 earnings per share for the current year.

United Rentals Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, May 28th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, May 14th will be given a $1.79 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, May 14th. This represents a $7.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.11%. United Rentals's payout ratio is currently 18.48%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other United Rentals news, CFO William E. Grace sold 1,100 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $638.10, for a total value of $701,910.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 6,880 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,390,128. This represents a 13.78 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. 0.53% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts have weighed in on URI shares. UBS Group lowered United Rentals from a "buy" rating to a "sell" rating and lowered their target price for the company from $910.00 to $485.00 in a report on Monday, April 7th. Truist Financial decreased their price target on United Rentals from $956.00 to $732.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, April 8th. Bank of America dropped their price objective on shares of United Rentals from $850.00 to $750.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Friday, March 21st. Robert W. Baird upgraded shares of United Rentals from an "underperform" rating to a "neutral" rating and set a $658.00 price objective on the stock in a report on Tuesday, January 14th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their target price on shares of United Rentals from $1,000.00 to $750.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Monday, April 14th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, four have given a hold rating and ten have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $729.79.

United Rentals 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.