Argent Capital Management LLC Sells 2,731 Shares of United Rentals, Inc. (NYSE:URI)

Argent Capital Management LLC lessened its holdings in United Rentals, Inc. (NYSE:URI - Free Report) by 1.7% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 160,791 shares of the construction company's stock after selling 2,731 shares during the quarter. United Rentals makes up about 3.2% of Argent Capital Management LLC's investment portfolio, making the stock its 6th largest holding. Argent Capital Management LLC owned about 0.25% of United Rentals worth $113,268,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the business. ORG Wealth Partners LLC acquired a new stake in United Rentals in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $26,000. E Fund Management Hong Kong Co. Ltd. acquired a new stake in United Rentals in the third quarter worth approximately $31,000. Carmichael Hill & Associates Inc. raised its position in United Rentals by 80.0% in the third quarter. Carmichael Hill & Associates Inc. now owns 45 shares of the construction company's stock worth $36,000 after acquiring an additional 20 shares in the last quarter. HM Payson & Co. bought a new stake in United Rentals during the third quarter worth approximately $41,000. Finally, Trust Co. of Vermont grew its holdings in shares of United Rentals by 6,000.0% in the 3rd quarter. Trust Co. of Vermont now owns 61 shares of the construction company's stock worth $49,000 after acquiring an additional 60 shares during the last quarter. 96.26% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Ratings Changes

URI has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Bank of America boosted their price target on shares of United Rentals from $800.00 to $910.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, October 24th. Argus boosted their target price on shares of United Rentals from $840.00 to $880.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, November 20th. Baird R W raised United Rentals from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday. Citigroup dropped their price target on United Rentals from $985.00 to $835.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday. Finally, Barclays raised their price target on shares of United Rentals from $400.00 to $565.00 and gave the stock an "underweight" rating in a report on Friday, October 25th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating and ten have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $805.08.

United Rentals Stock Performance

Shares of URI traded up $16.54 during midday trading on Thursday, reaching $758.03. 794,804 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 747,744. The company has a quick ratio of 0.77, a current ratio of 0.82 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.38. The stock's 50 day simple moving average is $782.94 and its 200 day simple moving average is $759.89. United Rentals, Inc. has a twelve month low of $545.16 and a twelve month high of $896.98. The company has a market cap of $49.74 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.80, a PEG ratio of 1.46 and a beta of 1.69.

United Rentals (NYSE:URI - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, October 23rd. The construction company reported $11.80 earnings per share 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 during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.01 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $11.73 earnings per share. United Rentals's revenue was up 6.0% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts expect that United Rentals, Inc. will post 43.46 earnings per share for the current year.

United Rentals Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, November 27th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, November 13th were given a $1.63 dividend. This represents a $6.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.86%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, November 13th. United Rentals's dividend payout ratio is presently 17.03%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other United Rentals news, SVP Anthony S. Leopold sold 900 shares of the firm'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 value of $740,916.00. Following the sale, the senior vice president now owns 2,044 shares in the company, valued at $1,682,702.56. This trade represents a 30.57 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Insiders own 0.49% 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.