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

Key Points

• United Rentals has a “Moderate Buy” consensus rating from 18 analysts: 16 recommend buying, one recommends selling, and one gives a strong-buy rating. The average 12-month price target is $1,246.19.
• The company exceeded quarterly expectations, reporting EPS of $12.76 versus the $11.53 estimate and revenue of $4.41 billion versus $4.22 billion; revenue increased 11.8% year over year.
• United Rentals declared a quarterly dividend of $1.97, equivalent to $7.88 annually and a 0.7% yield. Institutional investors own 96.26% of the company, while an executive recently sold 1,500 shares.

Shares of United Rentals, Inc. (NYSE:URI - Get Free Report) have received a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" from the eighteen research firms that are presently covering the firm, Marketbeat reports. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, sixteen have given a buy recommendation and one has assigned a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average twelve-month price target among brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $1,246.1875.

Several brokerages have recently weighed in on URI. BNP Paribas Exane upgraded United Rentals from a "neutral" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $1,320.00 price objective for the company in a report on Monday, June 29th. Citigroup boosted their price target on shares of United Rentals from $1,270.00 to $1,330.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, July 24th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price target on shares of United Rentals from $1,100.00 to $1,235.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Friday, July 24th. Bank of America raised their price objective on shares of United Rentals from $1,195.00 to $1,300.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, July 23rd. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada lifted their price objective on shares of United Rentals from $1,041.00 to $1,119.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Friday, April 24th.

Insider Activity at United Rentals

In other news, EVP William E. Grace sold 1,500 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, July 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,133.15, for a total transaction of $1,699,725.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 6,062 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,869,155.30. This represents a 19.84% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 0.47% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On United Rentals

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Core Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in United Rentals in the 4th quarter worth about $28,000. MV Capital Management Inc. purchased a new stake in United Rentals during the fourth quarter valued at about $28,000. MidFirst Bank purchased a new stake in United Rentals during the second quarter valued at about $31,000. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of United Rentals in the fourth quarter worth about $32,000. Finally, Hilton Head Capital Partners LLC acquired a new position in shares of United Rentals in the fourth quarter worth about $34,000. 96.26% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

United Rentals Price Performance

NYSE URI opened at $1,130.92 on Thursday. United Rentals has a 12 month low of $701.59 and a 12 month high of $1,179.18. The firm has a market capitalization of $70.39 billion, a PE ratio of 27.16, a P/E/G ratio of 1.47 and a beta of 1.80. The company's 50 day simple moving average is $1,092.50 and its 200 day simple moving average is $937.46. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.38, a current ratio of 0.76 and a quick ratio of 0.70.

United Rentals (NYSE:URI - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, July 21st. The construction company reported $12.76 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $11.53 by $1.23. The firm had revenue of $4.41 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.22 billion. United Rentals had a return on equity of 31.72% and a net margin of 15.67%.The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 11.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $10.47 earnings per share. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that United Rentals will post 48.55 EPS for the current fiscal year.

United Rentals Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, August 26th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, August 12th will be given a $1.97 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, August 12th. This represents a $7.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.7%. United Rentals's payout ratio is 18.92%.

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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