United Rentals, Inc. (NYSE:URI) Shares Sold by Lighthouse Investment Partners LLC

Lighthouse Investment Partners LLC cut its holdings in shares of United Rentals, Inc. (NYSE:URI) by 30.7% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 14,897 shares of the construction company’s stock after selling 6,603 shares during the period. Lighthouse Investment Partners LLC’s holdings in United Rentals were worth $10,494,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in URI. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in United Rentals in the fourth quarter worth approximately $695,716,000. Capital World Investors lifted its position in United Rentals by 17.1% in the fourth quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 2,221,228 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $1,564,722,000 after purchasing an additional 323,636 shares during the period. Capital International Investors lifted its position in United Rentals by 41.0% in the fourth quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 1,051,365 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $740,624,000 after purchasing an additional 305,491 shares during the period. Marshall Wace LLP lifted its position in United Rentals by 105.6% in the fourth quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 546,165 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $384,740,000 after purchasing an additional 280,502 shares during the period. Finally, Proficio Capital Partners LLC acquired a new stake in United Rentals in the fourth quarter worth approximately $171,733,000. 96.26% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

United Rentals Price Performance

NYSE URI opened at $672.53 on Monday. The stock has a market capitalization of $43.71 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.36, 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 business’s fifty day moving average is $616.74 and its two-hundred day moving average is $712.90. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.42, a quick ratio of 0.92 and a current ratio of 0.98.

United Rentals (NYSE:URI) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, April 23rd. The construction company reported $8.86 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $8.92 by ($0.06). United Rentals had a net margin of 16.78% and a return on equity of 34.21%. The firm had revenue of $3.72 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.61 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $9.15 earnings per share. United Rentals’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.7% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, research analysts forecast that United Rentals, Inc. will post 44.8 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

United Rentals Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, May 28th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, May 14th will be paid a dividend of $1.79 per share. This represents a $7.16 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.06%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, May 14th. United Rentals’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 18.54%.

Insider Buying and Selling at United Rentals

In other United Rentals news, CFO William E. Grace sold 1,100 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, February 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $638.10, for a total transaction of $701,910.00. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 6,880 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,390,128. The trade was a 13.78% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 0.53% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on URI shares. Morgan Stanley upgraded United Rentals from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and set a $702.00 target price for the company in a research report on Wednesday, April 16th. Cfra Research upgraded United Rentals to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Friday, April 25th. Robert W. Baird upped their target price on United Rentals from $535.00 to $571.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, April 25th. Baird R W upgraded United Rentals from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 14th. Finally, 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 report on Friday, March 21st. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, three have assigned a hold rating, nine have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, United Rentals currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $725.69.

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.