US Bancorp DE Increases Stock Holdings in United Rentals, Inc. (NYSE:URI)

US Bancorp DE grew its stake in shares of United Rentals, Inc. (NYSE:URI - Free Report) by 2.2% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 21,321 shares of the construction company's stock after acquiring an additional 462 shares during the period. US Bancorp DE's holdings in United Rentals were worth $15,019,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors also recently modified their holdings of URI. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. lifted its holdings in United Rentals by 6.3% during the fourth quarter. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 14,855 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $10,464,000 after purchasing an additional 877 shares during the last quarter. Retireful LLC purchased a new stake in shares of United Rentals during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $697,000. Mizuho Securities USA LLC boosted its holdings in United Rentals by 1,067.5% in the 3rd quarter. Mizuho Securities USA LLC now owns 59,879 shares of the construction company's stock worth $48,486,000 after buying an additional 54,750 shares during the period. Fiduciary Alliance LLC grew its stake in United Rentals by 196.5% in the 4th quarter. Fiduciary Alliance LLC now owns 1,420 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $1,000,000 after buying an additional 941 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Nordea Investment Management AB raised its holdings in United Rentals by 7.6% during the 4th quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB now owns 732,954 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $517,018,000 after acquiring an additional 52,037 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 96.26% of the company's stock.

United Rentals Price Performance

Shares of United Rentals stock traded up $27.77 on Wednesday, hitting $625.68. 617,658 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 696,752. United Rentals, Inc. has a 12-month low of $585.27 and a 12-month high of $896.98. The firm's 50-day simple moving average is $716.80 and its 200 day simple moving average is $767.11. The company has a market cap of $40.86 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.16, a P/E/G ratio of 1.43 and a beta of 1.68. 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 issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, January 29th. The construction company reported $11.59 earnings per share (EPS) 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%. Analysts expect that United Rentals, Inc. will post 44.8 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

United Rentals Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, February 26th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, February 12th were given a dividend of $1.79 per share. 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 yield of 1.14%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, February 12th. United Rentals's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 18.48%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other United Rentals news, CFO William E. Grace sold 1,100 shares of United Rentals stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $638.10, for a total value of $701,910.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 6,880 shares of the company's stock, valued at $4,390,128. The trade was a 13.78 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Insiders own 0.53% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts have recently commented on URI shares. Robert W. Baird raised United Rentals from an "underperform" rating to a "neutral" rating and set a $658.00 price target for the company in a report on Tuesday, January 14th. Citigroup cut their target price on United Rentals from $985.00 to $835.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, January 14th. Baird R W upgraded United Rentals from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 14th. Evercore ISI lowered their price target on shares of United Rentals from $1,004.00 to $974.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, February 19th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price objective on shares of United Rentals from $940.00 to $1,000.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Friday, January 31st. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have issued a hold rating and nine have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $829.00.

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.