United Rentals, Inc. (NYSE:URI) Shares Sold by Citizens Financial Group Inc. RI

Citizens Financial Group Inc. RI decreased its position in United Rentals, Inc. (NYSE:URI) by 2.2% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 9,211 shares of the construction company’s stock after selling 207 shares during the quarter. Citizens Financial Group Inc. RI’s holdings in United Rentals were worth $5,282,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of URI. AdvisorNet Financial Inc grew its position in shares of United Rentals by 71.4% during the fourth quarter. AdvisorNet Financial Inc now owns 48 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $28,000 after buying an additional 20 shares in the last quarter. OFI Invest Asset Management acquired a new stake in shares of United Rentals during the third quarter worth approximately $25,000. Larson Financial Group LLC grew its position in shares of United Rentals by 1,525.0% during the fourth quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 65 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $37,000 after buying an additional 61 shares in the last quarter. NBC Securities Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of United Rentals during the third quarter worth approximately $29,000. Finally, Arlington Trust Co LLC grew its position in shares of United Rentals by 50.0% during the fourth quarter. Arlington Trust Co LLC now owns 84 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $48,000 after buying an additional 28 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 96.26% of the company’s stock.

United Rentals Stock Performance

URI stock traded down $0.12 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $690.80. The company had a trading volume of 581,711 shares, compared to its average volume of 538,819. The company has a quick ratio of 0.75, a current ratio of 0.89 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.39. The stock has a market capitalization of $46.00 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.71, a P/E/G ratio of 2.40 and a beta of 1.84. United Rentals, Inc. has a one year low of $325.15 and a one year high of $732.37. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $681.18 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $578.63.

United Rentals (NYSE:URI) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, April 24th. The construction company reported $9.15 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $8.35 by $0.80. United Rentals had a return on equity of 36.44% and a net margin of 17.31%. The company had revenue of $3.49 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.44 billion. During the same period last year, the business posted $7.95 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 6.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts anticipate that United Rentals, Inc. will post 43.13 EPS for the current year.

United Rentals announced that its Board of Directors has approved a stock repurchase program on Wednesday, January 24th that allows the company to repurchase $1.50 billion in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization allows the construction company to repurchase up to 3.8% 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 Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, May 22nd. Investors of record on Wednesday, May 8th will be paid a dividend of $1.63 per share. This represents a $6.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.94%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, May 7th. United Rentals’s dividend payout ratio is currently 17.66%.

Insider Activity at United Rentals

In related news, CFO William E. Grace sold 775 shares of United Rentals stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $655.62, for a total transaction of $508,105.50. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 6,323 shares in the company, valued at $4,145,485.26. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.53% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts have commented on the stock. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their price objective on shares of United Rentals from $718.00 to $790.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, April 16th. Stifel Nicolaus lifted their price objective on shares of United Rentals from $720.00 to $750.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday. Evercore ISI lifted their price objective on shares of United Rentals from $575.00 to $740.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 20th. Morgan Stanley assumed coverage on shares of United Rentals in a report on Monday, January 8th. They issued an “equal weight” rating and a $500.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Barclays lifted their price objective on shares of United Rentals from $325.00 to $400.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a report on Friday, January 26th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, four have issued a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $600.57.

United Rentals Company Profile

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.