Investors Asset Management of Georgia Inc. GA ADV Invests $220,000 in United Rentals, Inc. (NYSE:URI)

Investors Asset Management of Georgia Inc. GA ADV purchased a new position in shares of United Rentals, Inc. (NYSE:URI) in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm purchased 383 shares of the construction company’s stock, valued at approximately $220,000.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC raised its stake in shares of United Rentals by 6.4% in the 3rd quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC now owns 21,568 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $9,588,000 after acquiring an additional 1,304 shares in the last quarter. Louisiana State Employees Retirement System bought a new position in shares of United Rentals in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $2,351,000. Graybill Wealth Management LTD. raised its stake in shares of United Rentals by 0.6% in the 3rd quarter. Graybill Wealth Management LTD. now owns 9,487 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $4,218,000 after acquiring an additional 58 shares in the last quarter. Pinnacle Associates Ltd. raised its stake in shares of United Rentals by 55.5% in the 4th quarter. Pinnacle Associates Ltd. now owns 6,413 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $3,677,000 after acquiring an additional 2,289 shares in the last quarter. Finally, AEGON ASSET MANAGEMENT UK Plc bought a new position in shares of United Rentals in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $22,529,000. 96.26% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

United Rentals Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:URI opened at $632.88 on Friday. United Rentals, Inc. has a 1-year low of $325.15 and a 1-year high of $732.37. The firm has a market capitalization of $42.51 billion, a PE ratio of 17.90, a PEG ratio of 2.21 and a beta of 1.84. The business’s 50 day moving average is $680.37 and its 200-day moving average is $569.06. The company has a current ratio of 0.81, a quick ratio of 0.75 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.24.

United Rentals (NYSE:URI) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 24th. The construction company reported $11.26 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $10.85 by $0.41. United Rentals had a return on equity of 36.80% and a net margin of 16.91%. The company had revenue of $3.73 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.63 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $9.74 EPS. United Rentals’s revenue for the quarter was up 13.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts predict that United Rentals, Inc. will post 43.13 earnings per share for the current year.

United Rentals Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, February 28th. Investors of record on Wednesday, February 14th were paid a $1.63 dividend. This is a positive change from United Rentals’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.48. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, February 13th. This represents a $6.52 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.03%. United Rentals’s payout ratio is currently 18.44%.

United Rentals announced that its Board of Directors has approved 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 reacquire up to 3.8% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase plans are often an indication that the company’s board of directors believes its shares are undervalued.

Analyst Ratings Changes

URI has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. BNP Paribas reissued an “underperform” rating and issued a $485.00 price objective on shares of United Rentals in a research note on Friday, January 5th. Robert W. Baird raised their price objective on United Rentals from $322.00 to $559.00 and gave the company an “underperform” rating in a research note on Friday, January 26th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on United Rentals from $630.00 to $710.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, January 26th. Evercore ISI raised their target price on United Rentals from $575.00 to $740.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 20th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group raised their target price on United Rentals from $718.00 to $790.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, four have assigned a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, United Rentals has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $589.21.

Insider Activity at United Rentals

In related news, CFO William E. Grace sold 775 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $655.62, for a total value of $508,105.50. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 6,323 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,145,485.26. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. 0.53% of the stock is owned by insiders.

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.