Two Sigma Advisers LP Reduces Stock Position in United Rentals, Inc. (NYSE:URI)

Two Sigma Advisers LP trimmed its holdings in shares of United Rentals, Inc. (NYSE:URI - Free Report) by 12.8% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 15,000 shares of the construction company's stock after selling 2,200 shares during the period. Two Sigma Advisers LP's holdings in United Rentals were worth $10,567,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Capital World Investors boosted its position in United Rentals by 17.1% in the 4th quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 2,221,228 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $1,564,722,000 after buying an additional 323,636 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its position in United Rentals by 1.3% in the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 1,587,203 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $1,115,142,000 after buying an additional 20,401 shares during the last quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. boosted its position in United Rentals by 16.0% in the 4th quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. now owns 1,250,324 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $880,778,000 after buying an additional 172,340 shares during the last quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. boosted its position in United Rentals by 9.8% in the 4th quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 1,093,350 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $770,199,000 after buying an additional 97,336 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Capital International Investors boosted its position in United Rentals by 41.0% in the 4th quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 1,051,365 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $740,624,000 after buying an additional 305,491 shares during the last quarter. 96.26% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

United Rentals Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE URI traded down $4.78 during midday trading on Wednesday, reaching $712.79. The company's stock had a trading volume of 57,525 shares, compared to its average volume of 600,344. United Rentals, Inc. has a 12-month low of $525.91 and a 12-month high of $896.98. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $639.58 and a 200-day moving average price of $704.31. The stock has a market capitalization of $46.33 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.38, a PEG ratio of 1.43 and a beta of 1.70. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.42, a current ratio of 0.98 and a quick ratio of 0.92.

United Rentals (NYSE:URI - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 23rd. The construction company reported $8.86 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $8.92 by ($0.06). United Rentals had a return on equity of 34.21% and a net margin of 16.78%. The company had revenue of $3.72 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.61 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $9.15 EPS. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 6.7% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities analysts predict that United Rentals, Inc. will post 44.8 earnings per share for the current year.

United Rentals Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, May 28th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, May 14th will be issued a dividend of $1.79 per share. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, May 14th. This represents a $7.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.00%. United Rentals's payout ratio is 18.54%.

Insider Buying and Selling at United Rentals

In other news, EVP Michael D. Durand sold 1,100 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, April 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $626.28, for a total value of $688,908.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 8,748 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $5,478,697.44. This represents a 11.17% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, VP Andrew B. Limoges sold 708 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on 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 transaction, the vice president now directly owns 1,921 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,355,957.06. The trade was a 26.93% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 0.53% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Robert W. Baird raised their price target on United Rentals from $535.00 to $571.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Friday, April 25th. Cfra Research upgraded United Rentals to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Friday, April 25th. Sanford C. Bernstein upgraded United Rentals from an "underperform" rating to a "market perform" rating and reduced their price target for the stock from $705.00 to $666.00 in a research report on Tuesday, March 25th. Morgan Stanley upgraded United Rentals from an "equal weight" rating to an "overweight" rating and set a $702.00 price target on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, April 16th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group raised their price target on United Rentals from $770.00 to $850.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have given a hold rating, nine have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $753.15.

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.