United Rentals (NYSE:URI) Stock Rating Upgraded by Morgan Stanley

Morgan Stanley upgraded shares of United Rentals (NYSE:URI - Free Report) from an equal weight rating to an overweight rating in a research report report published on Wednesday, Marketbeat reports. They currently have $702.00 price target on the construction company's stock.

Several other analysts also recently weighed in on URI. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price objective on United Rentals from $1,000.00 to $750.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research note on Monday. Baird R W raised shares of United Rentals from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 14th. Citigroup lowered their price objective on shares of United Rentals from $720.00 to $650.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, April 8th. Truist Financial reduced their price target on United Rentals from $956.00 to $732.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, April 8th. Finally, UBS Group cut United Rentals from a "buy" rating to a "sell" rating and dropped their price objective for the stock from $910.00 to $485.00 in a report on Monday, April 7th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, four have assigned a hold rating and ten have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $729.79.

United Rentals Trading Up 1.0 %

Shares of URI traded up $5.57 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, reaching $590.80. The company's stock had a trading volume of 367,847 shares, compared to its average volume of 588,443. United Rentals has a 52 week low of $525.91 and a 52 week high of $896.98. The stock has a market cap of $38.60 billion, a PE ratio of 15.25, a P/E/G ratio of 1.43 and a beta of 1.72. The company's fifty day moving average price is $628.94 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $733.62. The company has a current ratio of 0.98, a quick ratio of 0.92 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.42.

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

United Rentals Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, February 26th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, February 12th were paid a $1.79 dividend. This is a boost 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 1.21%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, February 12th. United Rentals's dividend payout ratio is currently 18.48%.

Insider Activity at United Rentals

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 transaction of $701,910.00. Following 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 legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 0.53% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On United Rentals

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