Vanguard Group Inc. Has $5.21 Billion Holdings in United Rentals, Inc. (NYSE:URI)

Vanguard Group Inc. lessened its position in shares of United Rentals, Inc. (NYSE:URI) by 0.2% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 7,392,535 shares of the construction company’s stock after selling 17,142 shares during the quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. owned approximately 11.32% of United Rentals worth $5,207,597,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. FMR LLC increased its position in United Rentals by 3.7% during the 3rd quarter. FMR LLC now owns 2,416,568 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $1,956,768,000 after purchasing an additional 85,325 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its position in United Rentals by 0.6% during the 3rd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 1,566,802 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $1,264,326,000 after purchasing an additional 9,256 shares during the period. Franklin Resources Inc. increased its position in United Rentals by 6.1% during the 3rd quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 996,014 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $862,110,000 after purchasing an additional 57,002 shares during the period. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased its position in United Rentals by 15.4% during the 3rd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 787,877 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $637,968,000 after purchasing an additional 105,287 shares during the period. Finally, Nordea Investment Management AB increased its position in United Rentals by 7.6% during the 4th quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB now owns 732,954 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $517,018,000 after purchasing an additional 52,037 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 96.26% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity

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

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts have issued reports on URI shares. Morgan Stanley cut their price target on United Rentals from $775.00 to $765.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, February 3rd. Bank of America cut 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. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on United Rentals from $940.00 to $1,000.00 and gave the stock 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 report on Tuesday, January 14th. Finally, Evercore ISI cut their price target on United Rentals from $1,004.00 to $974.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, February 19th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have given a hold rating and nine have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, United Rentals has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $815.67.

United Rentals Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:URI opened at $628.63 on Monday. 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’s fifty day simple moving average is $696.39 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $757.16. United Rentals, Inc. has a 1-year low of $585.27 and a 1-year high of $896.98. The stock has a market cap of $41.05 billion, a PE ratio of 16.22, 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 earnings per share 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, analysts forecast that United Rentals, Inc. will post 44.8 EPS for the current fiscal year.

United Rentals Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, February 26th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, February 12th were paid a dividend of $1.79 per share. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, February 12th. This is a boost from United Rentals’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.63. This represents a $7.16 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.14%. United Rentals’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 18.48%.

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.