United Rentals (NYSE:URI) Upgraded by Sanford C. Bernstein to “Market Perform” Rating

Sanford C. Bernstein upgraded shares of United Rentals (NYSE:URI) from an underperform rating to a market perform rating in a report released on Tuesday, Marketbeat.com reports. Sanford C. Bernstein currently has $666.00 price objective on the construction company’s stock, down from their prior price objective of $705.00.

URI has been the topic of several other research reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price objective on United Rentals from $940.00 to $1,000.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, January 31st. Citigroup cut their price target on United Rentals from $985.00 to $835.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, January 14th. Evercore ISI lowered their price objective on United Rentals from $1,004.00 to $974.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, February 19th. Bank of America reduced 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. Finally, Robert W. Baird raised shares of United Rentals from an “underperform” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $658.00 price target for the company in a research note on Tuesday, January 14th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have given a hold rating and nine have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $804.15.

United Rentals Stock Up 0.9 %

URI stock opened at $647.13 on Tuesday. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $689.85 and a 200-day moving average price of $755.06. United Rentals has a 12 month low of $585.27 and a 12 month high of $896.98. The company has a current ratio of 0.98, a quick ratio of 0.92 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.42. The stock has a market capitalization of $42.26 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.70, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.43 and a beta of 1.76.

United Rentals (NYSE:URI) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 29th. The construction company reported $11.59 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $11.65 by ($0.06). United Rentals had a net margin of 16.78% and a return on equity of 34.21%. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that United Rentals will post 44.8 EPS for the current fiscal year.

United Rentals Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, February 26th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, February 12th were given a dividend of $1.79 per share. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, February 12th. This represents a $7.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.11%. This is a boost from United Rentals’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.63. United Rentals’s dividend payout ratio is 18.48%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

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

Hedge Funds Weigh In On United Rentals

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in URI. 111 Capital acquired a new stake in shares of United Rentals during the 4th quarter worth approximately $740,000. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC boosted its stake in United Rentals by 15.2% during the fourth quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 6,371 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $4,488,000 after acquiring an additional 839 shares in the last quarter. Northstar Financial Companies Inc. bought a new position in United Rentals during the fourth quarter worth $259,000. Centaurus Financial Inc. grew its holdings in United Rentals by 1.7% in the fourth quarter. Centaurus Financial Inc. now owns 999 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $704,000 after purchasing an additional 17 shares during the period. Finally, Mattson Financial Services LLC increased its stake in United Rentals by 12.1% in the fourth quarter. Mattson Financial Services LLC now owns 3,020 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $2,127,000 after purchasing an additional 325 shares in the last quarter. 96.26% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.