MUFG Securities EMEA plc Acquires 13,377 Shares of United Rentals, Inc. $URI

Key Points

• MUFG Securities EMEA plc sharply increased its stake in United Rentals during the fourth quarter, boosting holdings by 1,085.8% to 14,609 shares worth about $11.8 million.
• Institutional interest in URI remains very high, with large investors like Norges Bank and Capital International Investors also adding positions; institutions now own 96.26% of the company.
• Wall Street analysts remain broadly positive, with a Moderate Buy consensus and an average price target of $1,006.13, even after United Rentals reported quarterly EPS and revenue below estimates.

MUFG Securities EMEA plc boosted its holdings in shares of United Rentals, Inc. (NYSE:URI - Free Report) by 1,085.8% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 14,609 shares of the construction company's stock after acquiring an additional 13,377 shares during the quarter. MUFG Securities EMEA plc's holdings in United Rentals were worth $11,823,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in URI. Norges Bank bought a new position in United Rentals during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $978,017,000. Capital International Investors raised its position in shares of United Rentals by 22.8% in the third quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 3,402,524 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $3,247,762,000 after purchasing an additional 631,484 shares during the period. TD Asset Management Inc raised its position in shares of United Rentals by 66.5% in the third quarter. TD Asset Management Inc now owns 484,450 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $462,485,000 after purchasing an additional 193,416 shares during the period. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. raised its position in shares of United Rentals by 3,459.3% in the fourth quarter. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. now owns 196,688 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $159,184,000 after purchasing an additional 191,162 shares during the period. Finally, Capital World Investors raised its position in shares of United Rentals by 6.7% in the third quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 2,678,614 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $2,557,158,000 after purchasing an additional 168,685 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 96.26% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms have recently commented on URI. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on shares of United Rentals from $850.00 to $1,050.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Friday, April 24th. Evercore reissued an "outperform" rating and issued a $1,101.00 price target on shares of United Rentals in a research report on Monday, May 11th. Barclays lifted their price target on shares of United Rentals from $600.00 to $715.00 and gave the company an "underweight" rating in a research report on Friday, April 24th. Weiss Ratings raised shares of United Rentals from a "hold (c)" rating to a "hold (c+)" rating in a research report on Monday, May 18th. Finally, Truist Financial set a $1,209.00 price target on shares of United Rentals in a research report on Friday, April 24th. Twelve analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, United Rentals presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $1,006.13.

United Rentals Trading Up 0.1%

Shares of United Rentals stock opened at $996.99 on Monday. The company's fifty day simple moving average is $854.91 and its 200-day simple moving average is $845.62. The company has a market cap of $62.46 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.43, a PEG ratio of 1.58 and a beta of 1.81. The company has a current ratio of 0.80, a quick ratio of 0.74 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.37. United Rentals, Inc. has a 1 year low of $681.98 and a 1 year high of $1,021.47.

United Rentals (NYSE:URI - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 22nd. The construction company reported $9.71 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $11.47 by ($1.76). The company had revenue of $3.99 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.20 billion. United Rentals had a return on equity of 30.56% and a net margin of 15.32%.The company's revenue was up 7.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $8.86 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that United Rentals, Inc. will post 47.07 EPS for the current year.

United Rentals Dividend Announcement

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

Insider Activity at United Rentals

In other news, CEO Matthew John Flannery sold 22,768 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Friday, April 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $984.98, for a total value of $22,426,024.64. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 99,980 shares in the company, valued at approximately $98,478,300.40. This trade represents a 18.55% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, SVP Joli L. Gross sold 306 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction 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 sale, the senior vice president owned 5,738 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,479,732.62. The trade was a 5.06% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last three months, insiders have sold 26,088 shares of company stock worth $25,628,877. Insiders own 0.47% of the company's stock.

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.

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