United Rentals, Inc. (NYSE:URI) Receives Average Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from Analysts

Shares of United Rentals, Inc. (NYSE:URI) have earned an average rating of “Moderate Buy” from the eighteen research firms that are covering the company, MarketBeat reports. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, sixteen have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. The average 12 month price target among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $1,246.1875.

A number of equities analysts have recently commented on URI shares. Bank of America raised their price target on United Rentals from $1,195.00 to $1,300.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, July 23rd. Citigroup boosted their price objective on United Rentals from $1,270.00 to $1,330.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, July 24th. Zacks Research raised United Rentals from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Monday, July 27th. Argus restated a “buy” rating and issued a $1,250.00 target price on shares of United Rentals in a research note on Tuesday, August 4th. Finally, BNP Paribas Exane raised United Rentals from a “neutral” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $1,320.00 target price for the company in a report on Monday, June 29th.

Insider Activity at United Rentals

In related news, EVP William E. Grace sold 1,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, July 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,133.15, for a total transaction of $1,699,725.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 6,062 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,869,155.30. The trade was a 19.84% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.47% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of United Rentals

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of URI. Core Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of United Rentals during the 4th quarter valued at $28,000. MV Capital Management Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of United Rentals in the fourth quarter worth $28,000. Clal Insurance Enterprises Holdings Ltd purchased a new stake in shares of United Rentals in the second quarter worth $29,000. MidFirst Bank bought a new stake in United Rentals during the second quarter valued at $31,000. Finally, Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in United Rentals during the fourth quarter valued at $32,000. Institutional investors own 96.26% of the company’s stock.

United Rentals Stock Performance

Shares of URI stock opened at $1,166.11 on Thursday. The stock has a market capitalization of $72.58 billion, a P/E ratio of 28.00, a PEG ratio of 1.49 and a beta of 1.80. The company has a current ratio of 0.76, a quick ratio of 0.70 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.38. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $1,096.63 and its 200 day moving average is $942.44. United Rentals has a 12 month low of $701.59 and a 12 month high of $1,179.18.

United Rentals (NYSE:URI) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 21st. The construction company reported $12.76 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $11.53 by $1.23. United Rentals had a net margin of 15.67% and a return on equity of 31.72%. The company had revenue of $4.41 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.22 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $10.47 EPS. United Rentals’s revenue for the quarter was up 11.8% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that United Rentals will post 48.55 earnings per share for the current year.

United Rentals Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, August 26th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, August 12th will be issued a $1.97 dividend. This represents a $7.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, August 12th. United Rentals’s dividend payout ratio is presently 18.92%.

About United Rentals

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.