Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio Sells 1,807 Shares of United Rentals, Inc. (NYSE:URI)

Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio lowered its position in shares of United Rentals, Inc. (NYSE:URI) by 6.0% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 28,169 shares of the construction company’s stock after selling 1,807 shares during the period. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio’s holdings in United Rentals were worth $19,843,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in URI. Norges Bank bought a new stake in shares of United Rentals during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $695,716,000. Leigh Baldwin & CO. LLC bought a new stake in shares of United Rentals during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $330,989,000. Capital World Investors increased its position in shares of United Rentals by 17.1% during the fourth quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 2,221,228 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $1,564,722,000 after acquiring an additional 323,636 shares in the last quarter. Capital International Investors increased its position in shares of United Rentals by 41.0% during the fourth quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 1,051,365 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $740,624,000 after acquiring an additional 305,491 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Marshall Wace LLP increased its position in shares of United Rentals by 105.6% during the fourth quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 546,165 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $384,740,000 after acquiring an additional 280,502 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 96.26% of the company’s stock.

United Rentals Trading Down 0.5%

Shares of United Rentals stock opened at $700.31 on Friday. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $636.40 and its 200-day simple moving average is $706.53. The stock has a market capitalization of $45.52 billion, a PE ratio of 18.07, a P/E/G ratio of 1.43 and a beta of 1.70. United Rentals, Inc. has a 1-year low of $525.91 and a 1-year high of $896.98. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.42, a current ratio of 0.98 and a quick ratio of 0.92.

United Rentals (NYSE:URI) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 23rd. The construction company reported $8.86 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $8.92 by ($0.06). United Rentals had a return on equity of 34.21% and a net margin of 16.78%. The business had revenue of $3.72 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.61 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $9.15 EPS. The company’s revenue was up 6.7% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that United Rentals, Inc. will post 44.8 earnings per share for the current year.

United Rentals Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, May 28th. Investors of record on Wednesday, May 14th will be paid a dividend of $1.79 per share. This represents a $7.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.02%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, May 14th. United Rentals’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 18.54%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages recently issued reports on URI. UBS Group upgraded shares of United Rentals from a “sell” rating to a “neutral” rating and raised their target price for the stock from $485.00 to $780.00 in a report on Friday, May 16th. Morgan Stanley upgraded shares of United Rentals from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and set a $702.00 target price on the stock in a report on Wednesday, April 16th. Bank of America dropped their target price on shares of United Rentals from $850.00 to $750.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, March 21st. Robert W. Baird raised their target price on shares of United Rentals from $535.00 to $571.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, April 25th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on shares of United Rentals from $780.00 to $920.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have issued a hold rating, nine have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $757.38.

Insider Activity at United Rentals

In related news, EVP Michael D. Durand sold 1,100 shares of United Rentals stock in a transaction on Tuesday, April 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $626.28, for a total transaction of $688,908.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 8,748 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,478,697.44. The trade was a 11.17% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, VP Andrew B. Limoges sold 708 shares of United Rentals stock in a transaction on Monday, May 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $705.86, for a total transaction of $499,748.88. Following the transaction, the vice president now owns 1,921 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,355,957.06. This trade represents a 26.93% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 2,908 shares of company stock worth $1,890,567. 0.53% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

About United Rentals

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.