Pecaut & CO. Makes New $1.59 Million Investment in United Rentals, Inc. $URI

Pecaut & CO. purchased a new stake in shares of United Rentals, Inc. (NYSE:URI) during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm purchased 1,403 shares of the construction company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,590,000.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. PFG Investments LLC boosted its holdings in shares of United Rentals by 0.9% during the 1st quarter. PFG Investments LLC now owns 1,172 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $854,000 after buying an additional 11 shares during the period. CoreCap Advisors LLC raised its holdings in United Rentals by 16.9% in the 2nd quarter. CoreCap Advisors LLC now owns 76 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $86,000 after acquiring an additional 11 shares during the period. Great Valley Advisor Group Inc. lifted its position in United Rentals by 2.9% during the 2nd quarter. Great Valley Advisor Group Inc. now owns 387 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $292,000 after acquiring an additional 11 shares during the last quarter. Legacy Financial Advisors Inc. boosted its holdings in United Rentals by 3.9% during the fourth quarter. Legacy Financial Advisors Inc. now owns 322 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $260,000 after acquiring an additional 12 shares during the period. Finally, Moss Adams Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in United Rentals by 2.0% during the first quarter. Moss Adams Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 605 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $441,000 after acquiring an additional 12 shares during the period. 96.26% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other United Rentals news, EVP William E. Grace sold 1,500 shares of United Rentals stock in a transaction 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 sale, the executive vice president owned 6,062 shares in the company, valued at $6,869,155.30. The trade was a 19.84% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. 0.47% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

United Rentals Trading Up 3.1%

Shares of URI opened at $1,155.25 on Friday. United Rentals, Inc. has a 12-month low of $701.59 and a 12-month high of $1,179.18. The company has a quick ratio of 0.70, a current ratio of 0.76 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.38. The firm has a market capitalization of $71.91 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.74, a P/E/G ratio of 1.44 and a beta of 1.80. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $1,095.03 and its 200 day moving average price is $940.41.

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

United Rentals Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, August 26th. Investors of record on Wednesday, August 12th will be given a $1.97 dividend. This represents a $7.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, August 12th. United Rentals’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 18.92%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts have recently commented on URI shares. Barclays lifted their price objective on United Rentals from $715.00 to $950.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a research note on Friday, July 24th. Argus reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $1,250.00 target price on shares of United Rentals in a report on Tuesday, August 4th. Robert W. Baird set a $1,300.00 price target on United Rentals in a research report on Friday, July 24th. Raymond James Financial reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $1,275.00 price target on shares of United Rentals in a report on Wednesday, June 10th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada increased their price objective on United Rentals from $1,041.00 to $1,119.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, April 24th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have issued a Buy rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $1,246.19.

United Rentals Profile

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.