Banque Cantonale Vaudoise Takes $2.49 Million Position in United Rentals, Inc. (NYSE:URI)

Key Points

• Banque Cantonale Vaudoise acquired a new position in United Rentals, purchasing 3,977 shares valued at approximately $2.49 million in the first quarter of the year.
• United Rentals reported quarterly earnings of $10.47 per share, which missed consensus estimates, despite a revenue increase of 4.5% year-over-year, totaling $3.94 billion.
• The company announced a quarterly dividend of $1.79 per share, representing a 0.81% dividend yield, with the ex-dividend date set for August 13th.

Banque Cantonale Vaudoise purchased a new stake in United Rentals, Inc. (NYSE:URI - Free Report) in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm purchased 3,977 shares of the construction company's stock, valued at approximately $2,493,000.

Several other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the business. Forum Financial Management LP lifted its stake in United Rentals by 1.9% in the fourth quarter. Forum Financial Management LP now owns 749 shares of the construction company's stock worth $528,000 after acquiring an additional 14 shares during the period. Centaurus Financial Inc. lifted its position in United Rentals by 1.7% during the fourth quarter. Centaurus Financial Inc. now owns 999 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $704,000 after buying an additional 17 shares during the period. Leavell Investment Management Inc. lifted its position in United Rentals by 3.6% during the first quarter. Leavell Investment Management Inc. now owns 515 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $323,000 after buying an additional 18 shares during the period. Baer Investment Advisory LLC lifted its position in United Rentals by 0.6% during the first quarter. Baer Investment Advisory LLC now owns 3,202 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $2,007,000 after buying an additional 18 shares during the period. Finally, HBK Sorce Advisory LLC lifted its position in United Rentals by 4.0% during the first quarter. HBK Sorce Advisory LLC now owns 490 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $307,000 after buying an additional 19 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 96.26% of the company's stock.

United Rentals Price Performance

NYSE URI traded up $2.57 during trading hours on Thursday, reaching $882.99. The company's stock had a trading volume of 450,849 shares, compared to its average volume of 666,298. The firm's 50-day moving average price is $758.38 and its 200-day moving average price is $698.40. The company has a quick ratio of 0.80, a current ratio of 0.86 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.34. United Rentals, Inc. has a 1 year low of $525.91 and a 1 year high of $903.60. The company has a market capitalization of $56.81 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.83, a PEG ratio of 2.04 and a beta of 1.69.

United Rentals (NYSE:URI - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 23rd. The construction company reported $10.47 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $10.54 by ($0.07). United Rentals had a return on equity of 32.01% and a net margin of 16.11%. The business had revenue of $3.94 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $3.90 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $10.70 earnings per share. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 4.5% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts predict that United Rentals, Inc. will post 44.8 EPS for the current fiscal year.

United Rentals Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, August 27th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, August 13th will be paid a $1.79 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, August 13th. This represents a $7.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.8%. United Rentals's payout ratio is presently 18.52%.

Insider Transactions at United Rentals

In other United Rentals news, VP Andrew B. Limoges sold 708 shares of United Rentals stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, May 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $705.86, for a total value of $499,748.88. Following the sale, the vice president owned 1,921 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,355,957.06. The trade was a 26.93% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. 0.53% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages have recently weighed in on URI. Robert W. Baird raised their price target on United Rentals from $535.00 to $571.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Friday, April 25th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on United Rentals from $920.00 to $950.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Thursday, July 10th. Morgan Stanley raised their price target on United Rentals from $702.00 to $955.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Monday. Redburn Atlantic downgraded United Rentals from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating and set a $760.00 price objective for the company. in a report on Friday, June 13th. Finally, Cfra Research upgraded United Rentals to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Friday, April 25th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have issued a hold rating, nine have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $830.71.

United Rentals 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.