Freedom Investment Management Inc. Sells 38 Shares of United Rentals, Inc. (NYSE:URI)

Freedom Investment Management Inc. lessened its stake in United Rentals, Inc. (NYSE:URI) by 7.5% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 467 shares of the construction company’s stock after selling 38 shares during the period. Freedom Investment Management Inc.’s holdings in United Rentals were worth $329,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the stock. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB purchased a new position in United Rentals during the third quarter valued at approximately $2,147,000. Tidal Investments LLC increased its position in shares of United Rentals by 8.1% in the 3rd quarter. Tidal Investments LLC now owns 8,295 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $6,717,000 after acquiring an additional 624 shares during the period. Synovus Financial Corp raised its stake in shares of United Rentals by 8.4% in the third quarter. Synovus Financial Corp now owns 634 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $513,000 after purchasing an additional 49 shares during the last quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. raised its position in United Rentals by 6.1% during the 3rd quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 996,014 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $862,110,000 after buying an additional 57,002 shares during the last quarter. Finally, American Trust raised its holdings in shares of United Rentals by 206.3% during the third quarter. American Trust now owns 1,207 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $977,000 after purchasing an additional 813 shares during the last quarter. 96.26% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

United Rentals Price Performance

United Rentals stock opened at $571.74 on Tuesday. The firm has a market cap of $37.35 billion, a PE ratio of 14.75, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.43 and a beta of 1.72. The company has a quick ratio of 0.92, a current ratio of 0.98 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.42. United Rentals, Inc. has a 52-week low of $525.91 and a 52-week high of $896.98. The company’s 50 day moving average is $625.68 and its two-hundred day moving average is $731.27.

United Rentals (NYSE:URI) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, January 29th. The construction company reported $11.59 earnings per share 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%. On average, research analysts expect that United Rentals, Inc. will post 44.8 EPS for the current fiscal year.

United Rentals Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, February 26th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, February 12th were given a dividend of $1.79 per share. This represents a $7.16 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.25%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, February 12th. This is a positive change from United Rentals’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.63. United Rentals’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 18.48%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

URI has been the subject of several recent research reports. Citigroup reduced their price target on United Rentals from $720.00 to $650.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, April 8th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price target on shares of United Rentals from $1,000.00 to $750.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, April 14th. UBS Group cut shares of United Rentals from a “buy” rating to a “sell” rating and lowered their target price for the stock from $910.00 to $485.00 in a research note on Monday, April 7th. Robert W. Baird upgraded United Rentals from an “underperform” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $658.00 price target for the company in a research report on Tuesday, January 14th. Finally, Morgan Stanley raised shares of United Rentals from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and set a $702.00 price objective for the company in a report on Wednesday, April 16th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, four have assigned a hold rating and ten have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $729.79.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CFO William E. Grace sold 1,100 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $638.10, for a total value of $701,910.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 6,880 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,390,128. This represents a 13.78 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. 0.53% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

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.