Thoroughbred Financial Services LLC Has $5.06 Million Position in United Rentals, Inc. $URI

Thoroughbred Financial Services LLC lifted its position in United Rentals, Inc. (NYSE:URI) by 25.6% in the third quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 5,304 shares of the construction company’s stock after buying an additional 1,080 shares during the quarter. Thoroughbred Financial Services LLC’s holdings in United Rentals were worth $5,063,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Salomon & Ludwin LLC increased its stake in shares of United Rentals by 650.0% in the third quarter. Salomon & Ludwin LLC now owns 30 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 26 shares during the period. Abich Financial Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in United Rentals in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Cedar Mountain Advisors LLC bought a new position in United Rentals in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $32,000. Loomis Sayles & Co. L P bought a new position in United Rentals in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $28,000. Finally, Steigerwald Gordon & Koch Inc. acquired a new position in shares of United Rentals during the third quarter worth approximately $40,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 96.26% of the company’s stock.

United Rentals Stock Performance

NYSE:URI opened at $896.84 on Wednesday. The firm has a market capitalization of $56.50 billion, a PE ratio of 23.19, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.42 and a beta of 1.70. The company has a quick ratio of 0.88, a current ratio of 0.94 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.41. United Rentals, Inc. has a 12-month low of $525.91 and a 12-month high of $1,021.47. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $868.87 and a 200 day moving average price of $890.21.

United Rentals (NYSE:URI) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 28th. The construction company reported $11.09 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $11.86 by ($0.77). The company had revenue of $4.21 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.24 billion. United Rentals had a net margin of 15.49% and a return on equity of 30.35%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $11.59 earnings per share. Research analysts anticipate that United Rentals, Inc. will post 44.8 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

United Rentals Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, February 25th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, February 11th will be paid a $1.97 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, February 11th. This represents a $7.88 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.9%. This is a boost from United Rentals’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.79. United Rentals’s dividend payout ratio is presently 20.37%.

United Rentals declared that its board has approved a share repurchase program on Wednesday, January 28th that allows the company to repurchase $5.00 billion in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization allows the construction company to buy up to 8.7% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase programs are usually an indication that the company’s board believes its shares are undervalued.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of United Rentals in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. UBS Group upgraded shares of United Rentals from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $1,025.00 price objective on the stock in a report on Sunday, January 4th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their target price on shares of United Rentals from $995.00 to $1,071.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, January 23rd. Royal Bank Of Canada decreased their target price on United Rentals from $1,123.00 to $1,041.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, January 30th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein set a $965.00 price target on United Rentals in a research note on Friday, January 30th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Buy rating, three have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $925.59.

Insider Buying and Selling at United Rentals

In other news, EVP William E. Grace sold 1,498 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $790.89, for a total value of $1,184,753.22. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 6,872 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,434,996.08. This represents a 17.90% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, EVP Michael D. Durand sold 2,490 shares of United Rentals stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $791.14, for a total transaction of $1,969,938.60. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 7,458 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $5,900,322.12. This represents a 25.03% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. 0.51% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

About United Rentals

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.