MWA Asset Management Has $3.27 Million Stake in United Rentals, Inc. (NYSE:URI)

Key Points

• MWA Asset Management increased its holdings in United Rentals by 51.0%, acquiring an additional 1,761 shares, bringing total ownership to 5,216 shares worth approximately $3.27 million.
• United Rentals reported $10.47 EPS in its last earnings quarter, missing estimates by $0.07, while revenue rose 4.5% year-over-year to $3.94 billion.
• The company declared a quarterly dividend of $1.79, leading to an annualized yield of 0.8%, with the next payment scheduled for August 27.

MWA Asset Management raised its stake in shares of United Rentals, Inc. (NYSE:URI - Free Report) by 51.0% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 5,216 shares of the construction company's stock after acquiring an additional 1,761 shares during the period. United Rentals comprises approximately 2.3% of MWA Asset Management's investment portfolio, making the stock its 13th largest holding. MWA Asset Management's holdings in United Rentals were worth $3,269,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. TruNorth Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of United Rentals by 1,266.7% during the first quarter. TruNorth Capital Management LLC now owns 41 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 38 shares during the last quarter. Fourth Dimension Wealth LLC bought a new position in United Rentals in the 1st quarter worth $26,000. Migdal Insurance & Financial Holdings Ltd. raised its stake in United Rentals by 69.0% during the 1st quarter. Migdal Insurance & Financial Holdings Ltd. now owns 49 shares of the construction company's stock worth $31,000 after acquiring an additional 20 shares during the period. Grove Bank & Trust purchased a new stake in United Rentals in the 1st quarter worth $36,000. Finally, NBC Securities Inc. bought a new stake in United Rentals during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $40,000. 96.26% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have commented on the stock. UBS Group lifted their price objective on shares of United Rentals from $780.00 to $835.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Thursday, July 24th. Cfra Research raised United Rentals to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Friday, April 25th. The Goldman Sachs Group upped their price target on shares of United Rentals from $770.00 to $850.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, May 27th. 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 report on Friday, June 13th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price 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. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have assigned a hold rating, nine have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $830.71.

United Rentals Stock Performance

United Rentals stock traded down $4.41 during midday trading on Wednesday, reaching $862.67. 435,813 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 671,137. United Rentals, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $525.91 and a fifty-two week high of $903.60. The firm has a market cap of $55.50 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.31, a PEG ratio of 2.00 and a beta of 1.72. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $771.56 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $701.80. The company has a current ratio of 0.86, a quick ratio of 0.80 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.34.

United Rentals (NYSE:URI - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data 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 during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.90 billion. United Rentals had a return on equity of 32.01% and a net margin of 16.11%. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 4.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $10.70 EPS. On average, equities research analysts forecast that United Rentals, Inc. will post 44.8 earnings per share for the current year.

United Rentals Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, August 27th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, August 13th will be issued a dividend of $1.79 per share. This represents a $7.16 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.8%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, August 13th. United Rentals's payout ratio is currently 18.52%.

Insider Activity at United Rentals

In related news, VP Andrew B. Limoges sold 708 shares of the 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 transaction, the vice president owned 1,921 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,355,957.06. This represents a 26.93% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. 0.53% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

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.