Vaughan Nelson Investment Management L.P. Cuts Stock Holdings in United Rentals, Inc. $URI

Vaughan Nelson Investment Management L.P. lowered its stake in shares of United Rentals, Inc. (NYSE:URI) by 16.2% in the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor owned 194,666 shares of the construction company’s stock after selling 37,652 shares during the quarter. United Rentals accounts for 1.5% of Vaughan Nelson Investment Management L.P.’s portfolio, making the stock its 14th biggest position. Vaughan Nelson Investment Management L.P.’s holdings in United Rentals were worth $157,547,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. J. Safra Sarasin Holding AG grew its stake in shares of United Rentals by 40.2% in the 4th quarter. J. Safra Sarasin Holding AG now owns 387 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $313,000 after acquiring an additional 111 shares in the last quarter. Mn Services Vermogensbeheer B.V. lifted its position in shares of United Rentals by 4.2% during the fourth quarter. Mn Services Vermogensbeheer B.V. now owns 25,578 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $20,701,000 after purchasing an additional 1,029 shares in the last quarter. Hennion & Walsh Asset Management Inc. boosted its holdings in United Rentals by 2.9% during the fourth quarter. Hennion & Walsh Asset Management Inc. now owns 6,350 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $5,139,000 after purchasing an additional 176 shares during the last quarter. Beacon Investment Advisory Services Inc. boosted its holdings in United Rentals by 1,358.7% during the fourth quarter. Beacon Investment Advisory Services Inc. now owns 8,227 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $6,658,000 after purchasing an additional 7,663 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Spire Wealth Management grew its position in United Rentals by 3.7% in the 4th quarter. Spire Wealth Management now owns 1,874 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $1,516,000 after purchasing an additional 67 shares in the last quarter. 96.26% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP William E. Grace sold 1,498 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $790.89, for a total value of $1,184,753.22. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 6,872 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,434,996.08. The trade was a 17.90% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Michael D. Durand sold 2,490 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $791.14, for a total transaction of $1,969,938.60. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 7,458 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,900,322.12. This trade represents a 25.03% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Company insiders own 0.51% of the company’s stock.

United Rentals Trading Down 2.8%

NYSE:URI opened at $713.42 on Tuesday. United Rentals, Inc. has a 12 month low of $525.91 and a 12 month high of $1,021.47. The company has a current ratio of 0.94, a quick ratio of 0.88 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.41. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $827.03 and its 200 day moving average is $863.06. The stock has a market capitalization of $44.87 billion, a PE ratio of 18.44, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.19 and a beta of 1.66.

United Rentals (NYSE:URI) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 28th. The construction company reported $11.09 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $11.86 by ($0.77). United Rentals had a net margin of 15.49% and a return on equity of 30.35%. The firm had revenue of $4.21 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.24 billion. During the same period last year, the company posted $11.59 earnings per share. United Rentals’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.8% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts expect that United Rentals, Inc. will post 44.8 earnings per share for the current year.

United Rentals announced that its board has initiated a stock repurchase program on Wednesday, January 28th that authorizes the company to buyback $5.00 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the construction company to reacquire up to 8.7% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are typically an indication that the company’s board of directors believes its stock is undervalued.

United Rentals Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, February 25th. Investors of record on Wednesday, February 11th were issued a $1.97 dividend. This is an increase from United Rentals’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.79. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, February 11th. This represents a $7.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.1%. United Rentals’s payout ratio is 20.37%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts have commented on the stock. UBS Group raised shares of United Rentals from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $1,025.00 target price on the stock in a research report on Sunday, January 4th. Robert W. Baird set a $970.00 price target on United Rentals in a research report on Friday, January 30th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of United Rentals in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price objective on United Rentals from $995.00 to $1,071.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, January 23rd. Finally, Citigroup lowered their target price on United Rentals from $1,090.00 to $950.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have issued a Buy rating, three have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, United Rentals presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $925.59.

United Rentals Profile

United Rentals, Inc (NYSE: URI) is a leading equipment rental company headquartered in Stamford, Connecticut. The firm provides rental solutions and related services to construction, industrial, commercial, and municipal customers. Its business model centers on providing access to a broad fleet of equipment on a short-term or long-term basis, enabling customers to avoid the capital expenditure of ownership and to scale equipment use to match project needs.

The company’s product and service offerings span general construction equipment and a range of specialty categories, including aerial work platforms, earthmoving and excavation machines, material handling equipment, pumps, power and HVAC systems, trench and shoring solutions, and tools.