607 Shares in United Rentals, Inc. $URI Purchased by Gateway Investment Advisers LLC

Gateway Investment Advisers LLC bought a new position in United Rentals, Inc. (NYSE:URI) during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm bought 607 shares of the construction company’s stock, valued at approximately $491,000.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Abich Financial Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of United Rentals during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $29,000. Aventura Private Wealth LLC bought a new stake in shares of United Rentals in the 4th quarter worth approximately $27,000. Cedar Mountain Advisors LLC acquired a new position in United Rentals during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $32,000. KERR FINANCIAL PLANNING Corp acquired a new position in United Rentals during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $35,000. Finally, Board of the Pension Protection Fund bought a new position in United Rentals during the 4th quarter worth $32,000. 96.26% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Transactions at United Rentals

In other news, SVP Joli L. Gross sold 306 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, April 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $954.99, for a total value of $292,226.94. Following the sale, the senior vice president owned 5,738 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,479,732.62. The trade was a 5.06% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, VP Andrew B. Limoges sold 548 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, April 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $977.86, for a total value of $535,867.28. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president owned 1,865 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,823,708.90. This trade represents a 22.71% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 26,088 shares of company stock valued at $25,628,877. 0.47% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

United Rentals Stock Performance

Shares of URI opened at $935.68 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $58.62 billion, a PE ratio of 23.87, a P/E/G ratio of 1.49 and a beta of 1.83. The company has a quick ratio of 0.74, a current ratio of 0.80 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.37. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $805.22 and a 200 day moving average price of $838.92. United Rentals, Inc. has a 52-week low of $666.95 and a 52-week high of $1,021.47.

United Rentals (NYSE:URI) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 22nd. The construction company reported $9.71 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $11.47 by ($1.76). The company had revenue of $3.99 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.20 billion. United Rentals had a return on equity of 30.56% and a net margin of 15.32%.The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 7.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $8.86 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that United Rentals, Inc. will post 46.99 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

United Rentals announced that its Board of Directors has approved a stock repurchase program on Wednesday, January 28th that allows the company to repurchase $5.00 billion in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization allows the construction company to repurchase up to 8.7% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase programs are typically an indication that the company’s management believes its shares are undervalued.

United Rentals Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, May 27th. Investors of record on Wednesday, May 13th will be issued a dividend of $1.97 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, May 13th. This represents a $7.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.8%. United Rentals’s payout ratio is presently 20.10%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts have weighed in on URI shares. Barclays increased their target price on United Rentals from $600.00 to $715.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a research report on Friday, April 24th. Morgan Stanley restated an “overweight” rating and set a $1,030.00 price target on shares of United Rentals in a research report on Friday, April 24th. Sanford C. Bernstein set a $903.00 price objective on shares of United Rentals and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, April 9th. Robert W. Baird lifted their price objective on shares of United Rentals from $970.00 to $1,100.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, April 24th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on shares of United Rentals from $850.00 to $1,050.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, April 24th. Thirteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, United Rentals has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $986.35.

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.