Natural Investments LLC Purchases New Position in United Rentals, Inc. (NYSE:URI)

Key Points

• Natural Investments LLC acquired 693 shares of United Rentals, Inc. valued at approximately $434,000 in the 1st quarter, contributing to a growing institutional investor presence which now owns 96.26% of the company's stock.
• Several research firms raised their price objectives for United Rentals, with UBS Group setting it at $835.00 and Bank of America at $900.00, leading to a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a target price of $830.71.
• United Rentals recently declared a quarterly dividend of $1.79 per share, which translates to an annualized yield of 0.8% and reflects a dividend payout ratio of 18.52%.

Natural Investments LLC purchased a new stake in shares of United Rentals, Inc. (NYSE:URI - Free Report) in the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm purchased 693 shares of the construction company's stock, valued at approximately $434,000.

Other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Forum Financial Management LP increased its holdings in shares of United Rentals by 1.9% in the 4th quarter. Forum Financial Management LP now owns 749 shares of the construction company's stock worth $528,000 after buying an additional 14 shares during the last quarter. Centaurus Financial Inc. grew its position 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 acquiring an additional 17 shares in the last quarter. Leavell Investment Management Inc. grew its position in United Rentals by 3.6% in the first quarter. Leavell Investment Management Inc. now owns 515 shares of the construction company's stock worth $323,000 after acquiring an additional 18 shares in the last quarter. Baer Investment Advisory LLC increased its stake 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 worth $2,007,000 after acquiring an additional 18 shares during the last quarter. Finally, HBK Sorce Advisory LLC raised 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 purchasing an additional 19 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 96.26% of the company's stock.

United Rentals Stock Up 0.5%

Shares of NYSE URI traded up $4.38 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $858.99. 273,017 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 657,143. United Rentals, Inc. has a 12 month low of $525.91 and a 12 month high of $903.60. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $777.39 and a 200-day moving average price of $703.50. The company has a quick ratio of 0.80, a current ratio of 0.86 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.34. The company has a market cap of $55.27 billion, a PE ratio of 22.21, a PEG ratio of 1.99 and a beta of 1.72.

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

United Rentals Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, August 27th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, August 13th will be issued 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 dividend yield of 0.8%. United Rentals's dividend payout ratio is currently 18.52%.

Insider Buying and Selling at United Rentals

In related news, VP Andrew B. Limoges sold 708 shares of United Rentals stock in a transaction dated Monday, May 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $705.86, for a total transaction of $499,748.88. Following the completion of 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 ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 0.53% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts have weighed in on URI shares. Robert W. Baird boosted their price objective on shares of United Rentals from $535.00 to $571.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Friday, April 25th. KeyCorp lifted their price target on shares of United Rentals from $865.00 to $960.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Friday, July 25th. Truist Financial increased their price objective on shares of United Rentals from $786.00 to $952.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, July 25th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price objective on shares of United Rentals from $920.00 to $950.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Thursday, July 10th. Finally, Redburn Atlantic cut United Rentals from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating and set a $760.00 target price on the stock. in a research note on Friday, June 13th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have given a hold rating, nine have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, United Rentals presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $830.71.

About United Rentals

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.