Benchmark Investment Advisors LLC Has $3.98 Million Stake in United Rentals, Inc. (NYSE:URI)

Benchmark Investment Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in United Rentals, Inc. (NYSE:URI) by 38.6% during the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 5,651 shares of the construction company’s stock after purchasing an additional 1,573 shares during the period. United Rentals accounts for 2.6% of Benchmark Investment Advisors LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 9th largest holding. Benchmark Investment Advisors LLC’s holdings in United Rentals were worth $3,981,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in United Rentals during the 4th quarter valued at $695,716,000. Proficio Capital Partners LLC acquired a new position in shares of United Rentals in the 4th quarter valued at $171,733,000. Raymond James Financial Inc. bought a new position in shares of United Rentals in the 4th quarter worth $164,493,000. Alliancebernstein L.P. grew its stake in shares of United Rentals by 16.0% during the fourth quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. now owns 1,250,324 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $880,778,000 after purchasing an additional 172,340 shares during the period. Finally, TD Asset Management Inc. increased its holdings in United Rentals by 207.8% in the fourth quarter. TD Asset Management Inc. now owns 234,366 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $165,097,000 after purchasing an additional 158,214 shares during the last quarter. 96.26% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

United Rentals Price Performance

NYSE:URI opened at $564.56 on Friday. United Rentals, Inc. has a 52-week low of $544.32 and a 52-week high of $896.98. The company has a market cap of $36.88 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.57, a P/E/G ratio of 1.43 and a beta of 1.72. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.42, a quick ratio of 0.92 and a current ratio of 0.98. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $669.75 and its 200 day simple moving average is $750.73.

United Rentals (NYSE:URI) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 29th. The construction company reported $11.59 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $11.65 by ($0.06). United Rentals had a return on equity of 34.21% and a net margin of 16.78%. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that United Rentals, Inc. will post 44.8 EPS for the current fiscal year.

United Rentals Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, February 26th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, February 12th were given a $1.79 dividend. This represents a $7.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.27%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, February 12th. This is an increase from United Rentals’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.63. United Rentals’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 18.48%.

Insider Transactions at United Rentals

In other United Rentals news, CFO William E. Grace sold 1,100 shares of the company’s 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 sale, the chief financial officer now owns 6,880 shares in the company, valued at $4,390,128. This represents a 13.78 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. 0.53% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

URI has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Truist Financial reissued a “buy” rating and set a $956.00 price target (down from $963.00) on shares of United Rentals in a research report on Friday, January 31st. Baird R W upgraded United Rentals from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 14th. Bank of America dropped their price target on United Rentals from $850.00 to $750.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, March 21st. Sanford C. Bernstein raised United Rentals from an “underperform” rating to a “market perform” rating and lowered their target price for the stock from $705.00 to $666.00 in a research note on Tuesday, March 25th. Finally, Robert W. Baird raised shares of United Rentals from an “underperform” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $658.00 price target on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, January 14th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have assigned a hold rating and nine have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, United Rentals currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $804.15.

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.