Tokio Marine Asset Management Co. Ltd. Purchases 131 Shares of United Rentals, Inc. (NYSE:URI)

Tokio Marine Asset Management Co. Ltd. raised its stake in shares of United Rentals, Inc. (NYSE:URI) by 7.7% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 1,843 shares of the construction company’s stock after acquiring an additional 131 shares during the period. Tokio Marine Asset Management Co. Ltd.’s holdings in United Rentals were worth $1,057,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in URI. OFI Invest Asset Management purchased a new position in shares of United Rentals in the 3rd quarter valued at about $25,000. AdvisorNet Financial Inc raised its holdings in shares of United Rentals by 71.4% during the fourth quarter. AdvisorNet Financial Inc now owns 48 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $28,000 after acquiring an additional 20 shares in the last quarter. NBC Securities Inc. bought a new position in shares of United Rentals in the third quarter worth about $29,000. Larson Financial Group LLC raised its stake in shares of United Rentals by 1,525.0% in the fourth quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 65 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $37,000 after acquiring an additional 61 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Annis Gardner Whiting Capital Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of United Rentals in the 3rd quarter valued at $40,000. 96.26% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

United Rentals Stock Performance

United Rentals stock traded down $2.97 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $687.95. The company had a trading volume of 116,418 shares, compared to its average volume of 581,798. United Rentals, Inc. has a 52 week low of $325.15 and a 52 week high of $732.37. The firm has a market cap of $46.21 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.71, a PEG ratio of 2.27 and a beta of 1.84. The company has a 50 day moving average of $680.37 and a 200-day moving average of $576.87. The company has a quick ratio of 0.75, a current ratio of 0.81 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.24.

United Rentals (NYSE:URI) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, April 24th. The construction company reported $9.15 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $8.35 by $0.80. The business had revenue of $3.49 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.44 billion. United Rentals had a net margin of 17.31% and a return on equity of 36.85%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $7.95 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts expect that United Rentals, Inc. will post 43.13 EPS for the current fiscal year.

United Rentals declared that its Board of Directors has initiated a share buyback program on Wednesday, January 24th that allows the company to buyback $1.50 billion in shares. This buyback authorization allows the construction company to buy up to 3.8% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are often a sign that the company’s board believes its stock is undervalued.

United Rentals Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, May 22nd. Investors of record on Wednesday, May 8th will be given a $1.63 dividend. This represents a $6.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.95%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, May 7th. United Rentals’s payout ratio is presently 17.66%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, CFO William E. Grace sold 775 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $655.62, for a total value of $508,105.50. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 6,323 shares in the company, valued at $4,145,485.26. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Insiders own 0.53% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages have recently commented on URI. Barclays lifted their price target on shares of United Rentals from $325.00 to $400.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a report on Friday, January 26th. The Goldman Sachs Group upped their price target on shares of United Rentals from $718.00 to $790.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 16th. BNP Paribas reiterated an “underperform” rating and issued a $485.00 price target on shares of United Rentals in a report on Friday, January 5th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on shares of United Rentals from $630.00 to $710.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, January 26th. Finally, Robert W. Baird increased their price target on United Rentals from $322.00 to $559.00 and gave the stock an “underperform” rating in a report on Friday, January 26th. Three 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. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $589.21.

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.