ABN AMRO Bank N.V. Buys Shares of 2,532 United Rentals, Inc. $URI

Key Points

• ABN AMRO Bank opened a new position in United Rentals during the fourth quarter, buying 2,532 shares valued at about $2.06 million.
• United Rentals reported quarterly EPS of $9.71, missing analyst expectations of $11.47, while revenue came in at $3.99 billion versus the $4.20 billion forecast.
• The company also announced a $5 billion share repurchase program and a quarterly dividend of $1.97 per share, with several analysts recently raising price targets and maintaining bullish ratings.

ABN AMRO Bank N.V. purchased a new position in shares of United Rentals, Inc. (NYSE:URI - Free Report) during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor purchased 2,532 shares of the construction company's stock, valued at approximately $2,062,000.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the business. UNIVEST FINANCIAL Corp lifted its holdings in United Rentals by 0.8% during the 4th quarter. UNIVEST FINANCIAL Corp now owns 14,581 shares of the construction company's stock worth $11,801,000 after buying an additional 118 shares in the last quarter. Midwest Trust Co boosted its holdings in United Rentals by 1.6% in the fourth quarter. Midwest Trust Co now owns 12,224 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $9,893,000 after purchasing an additional 188 shares during the period. Stiles Financial Services Inc boosted its holdings in United Rentals by 29.6% in the fourth quarter. Stiles Financial Services Inc now owns 1,787 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $1,446,000 after purchasing an additional 408 shares during the period. RB Capital Management LLC grew its stake in United Rentals by 0.9% during the 4th quarter. RB Capital Management LLC now owns 3,000 shares of the construction company's stock worth $2,428,000 after purchasing an additional 27 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Chesapeake Capital Corp IL increased its holdings in United Rentals by 3.6% during the 4th quarter. Chesapeake Capital Corp IL now owns 727 shares of the construction company's stock worth $588,000 after purchasing an additional 25 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 96.26% of the company's stock.

United Rentals Stock Up 0.2%

Shares of NYSE:URI opened at $938.73 on Tuesday. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $808.46 and a 200-day simple moving average of $838.00. United Rentals, Inc. has a twelve month low of $681.98 and a twelve month high of $1,021.47. The company has a current ratio of 0.80, a quick ratio of 0.74 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.37. The company has a market capitalization of $58.81 billion, a PE ratio of 23.95, a P/E/G ratio of 1.49 and a beta of 1.83.

United Rentals (NYSE:URI - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 22nd. The construction company reported $9.71 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $11.47 by ($1.76). United Rentals had a return on equity of 30.56% and a net margin of 15.32%.The firm had revenue of $3.99 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $4.20 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $8.86 EPS. The company's quarterly revenue was up 7.2% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts predict that United Rentals, Inc. will post 46.99 EPS for the current fiscal year.

United Rentals Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, May 27th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, May 13th will be issued a $1.97 dividend. This represents a $7.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.8%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, May 13th. United Rentals's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 20.10%.

United Rentals announced that its Board of Directors has initiated 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 purchase up to 8.7% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase programs are often an indication that the company's management believes its shares are undervalued.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on the company. Sanford C. Bernstein set a $903.00 price target on United Rentals and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Thursday, April 9th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on shares of United Rentals from $850.00 to $1,050.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Friday, April 24th. Robert W. Baird raised their target price on shares of United Rentals from $970.00 to $1,100.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Friday, April 24th. Royal Bank Of Canada boosted their price target on shares of United Rentals from $1,041.00 to $1,119.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Friday, April 24th. Finally, Evercore reissued an "outperform" rating and issued a $1,101.00 price objective on shares of United Rentals in a research report on Monday. Thirteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $996.94.

Insider Transactions at United Rentals

In related news, SVP Joli L. Gross sold 306 shares of United Rentals stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, April 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $954.99, for a total transaction of $292,226.94. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 5,738 shares in the company, valued at $5,479,732.62. The trade was a 5.06% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP Craig Adam Pintoff sold 2,466 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, April 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $963.00, for a total value of $2,374,758.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 14,774 shares in the company, valued at approximately $14,227,362. This trade represents a 14.30% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold a total of 26,088 shares of company stock worth $25,628,877 over the last ninety days. 0.47% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

United Rentals Company Profile

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.

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