United Rentals, Inc. (NYSE:URI) Receives Consensus Rating of "Moderate Buy" from Brokerages

Key Points

• United Rentals, Inc. has been assigned an average recommendation of "Moderate Buy" from sixteen research firms, with an average target price of $830.71.
• Analysts have varied price objectives for the stock, with Bank of America setting a target of $900.00 and Morgan Stanley at $955.00, reflecting positive outlooks for the company.
• The company recently announced a quarterly dividend of $1.79, which will be paid on August 27th, marking an annualized yield of 0.8%.

United Rentals, Inc. (NYSE:URI - Get Free Report) has received an average rating of "Moderate Buy" from the sixteen brokerages that are presently covering the company, Marketbeat reports. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, five have issued a hold recommendation, nine have given a buy recommendation and one has assigned a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average 12 month target price among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $830.7143.

URI has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Cfra Research upgraded United Rentals to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Friday, April 25th. The Goldman Sachs Group upped their price target on United Rentals from $770.00 to $850.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 27th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on United Rentals from $920.00 to $950.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Thursday, July 10th. KeyCorp lifted their price target on United Rentals from $865.00 to $960.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Friday, July 25th. Finally, Evercore ISI reduced their price target on United Rentals from $974.00 to $921.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a report on Monday, May 19th.

United Rentals Price Performance

NYSE URI traded up $8.94 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $868.56. The stock had a trading volume of 456,928 shares, compared to its average volume of 664,789. The firm's 50 day moving average is $765.18 and its 200 day moving average is $699.96. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.34, a current ratio of 0.86 and a quick ratio of 0.80. The stock has a market capitalization of $55.88 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.46, a PEG ratio of 1.99 and a beta of 1.72. United Rentals has a twelve month low of $525.91 and a twelve month high of $903.60.

United Rentals (NYSE:URI - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, July 23rd. The construction company reported $10.47 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates 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 net margin of 16.11% and a return on equity of 32.01%. United Rentals's quarterly revenue was up 4.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $10.70 earnings per share. Equities research analysts forecast that United Rentals will post 44.8 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

United Rentals Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, August 27th. Investors of record on Wednesday, August 13th will be issued a $1.79 dividend. 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 Transactions at United Rentals

In related news, VP Andrew B. Limoges sold 708 shares of the 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 transaction, the vice president owned 1,921 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,355,957.06. This represents a 26.93% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.53% of the company's stock.

Institutional Trading of United Rentals

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Elevation Point Wealth Partners LLC increased its stake in United Rentals by 32.9% during the first quarter. Elevation Point Wealth Partners LLC now owns 2,220 shares of the construction company's stock worth $1,391,000 after purchasing an additional 550 shares during the period. Dynamic Advisor Solutions LLC purchased a new stake in United Rentals during the first quarter worth about $602,000. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC increased its stake in United Rentals by 12.4% during the first quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 7,160 shares of the construction company's stock worth $4,488,000 after purchasing an additional 789 shares during the period. Farther Finance Advisors LLC increased its stake in United Rentals by 101.6% during the first quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 859 shares of the construction company's stock worth $543,000 after purchasing an additional 433 shares during the period. Finally, Brookwood Investment Group LLC purchased a new stake in United Rentals during the first quarter worth about $2,966,000. 96.26% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.