United Rentals, Inc. (NYSE:URI) Stock Position Decreased by Cookson Peirce & Co. Inc.

Cookson Peirce & Co. Inc. lessened its holdings in shares of United Rentals, Inc. (NYSE:URI) by 2.3% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 1,825 shares of the construction company’s stock after selling 43 shares during the period. Cookson Peirce & Co. Inc.’s holdings in United Rentals were worth $1,046,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the business. Ballentine Partners LLC grew its position in shares of United Rentals by 2.1% during the 4th quarter. Ballentine Partners LLC now owns 889 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $510,000 after buying an additional 18 shares during the last quarter. DGS Capital Management LLC grew its position in United Rentals by 1.3% in the 4th quarter. DGS Capital Management LLC now owns 1,441 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $827,000 after purchasing an additional 18 shares during the last quarter. Oak Ridge Investments LLC grew its position in United Rentals by 0.3% in the 4th quarter. Oak Ridge Investments LLC now owns 5,816 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $3,335,000 after purchasing an additional 20 shares during the last quarter. Caprock Group LLC grew its position in United Rentals by 2.3% in the 4th quarter. Caprock Group LLC now owns 900 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $516,000 after purchasing an additional 20 shares during the last quarter. Finally, AdvisorNet Financial Inc grew its position in United Rentals by 71.4% in the 4th quarter. AdvisorNet Financial Inc now owns 48 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 20 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 96.26% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have commented on URI shares. BNP Paribas restated an “underperform” rating and issued a $485.00 target price on shares of United Rentals in a research report on Friday, January 5th. Robert W. Baird upped their target price on shares of United Rentals from $322.00 to $559.00 and gave the stock an “underperform” rating in a research report on Friday, January 26th. Evercore ISI increased their price objective on shares of United Rentals from $575.00 to $740.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 20th. Truist Financial initiated coverage on shares of United Rentals in a report on Thursday, March 14th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $793.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Barclays increased their price objective on shares of United Rentals from $325.00 to $400.00 and gave the company an “underweight” rating in a report on Friday, January 26th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, four have given a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $589.21.

United Rentals Stock Down 1.6 %

URI stock opened at $655.97 on Wednesday. United Rentals, Inc. has a 12 month low of $325.15 and a 12 month high of $732.37. The firm has a market cap of $44.06 billion, a PE ratio of 18.56, a P/E/G ratio of 2.31 and a beta of 1.84. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $680.99 and a 200 day simple moving average of $568.14. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.24, a current ratio of 0.81 and a quick ratio of 0.75.

United Rentals (NYSE:URI) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, January 24th. The construction company reported $11.26 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $10.85 by $0.41. United Rentals had a net margin of 16.91% and a return on equity of 36.80%. The business had revenue of $3.73 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.63 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $9.74 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 13.1% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts forecast that United Rentals, Inc. will post 43.13 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

United Rentals Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, February 28th. Investors of record on Wednesday, February 14th were given a $1.63 dividend. This represents a $6.52 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.99%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, February 13th. This is an increase from United Rentals’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.48. United Rentals’s dividend payout ratio is 18.44%.

United Rentals declared that its board has authorized a stock buyback plan on Wednesday, January 24th that authorizes the company to repurchase $1.50 billion in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the construction company to buy up to 3.8% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are generally an indication that the company’s board believes its shares are undervalued.

Insider Activity at United Rentals

In related news, CFO William E. Grace sold 775 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $655.62, for a total value of $508,105.50. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 6,323 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,145,485.26. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 0.49% of the stock is owned by insiders.

About United Rentals

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.