CENTRAL TRUST Co Boosts Stock Holdings in United Rentals, Inc. (NYSE:URI)

CENTRAL TRUST Co raised its holdings in shares of United Rentals, Inc. (NYSE:URI) by 31.1% in the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 674 shares of the construction company’s stock after acquiring an additional 160 shares during the period. CENTRAL TRUST Co’s holdings in United Rentals were worth $475,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the business. ORG Wealth Partners LLC purchased a new stake in shares of United Rentals during the fourth quarter worth about $26,000. E Fund Management Hong Kong Co. Ltd. purchased a new stake in shares of United Rentals during the third quarter worth about $31,000. Hanson & Doremus Investment Management purchased a new stake in shares of United Rentals during the fourth quarter worth about $33,000. Carmichael Hill & Associates Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of United Rentals by 80.0% during the third quarter. Carmichael Hill & Associates Inc. now owns 45 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $36,000 after purchasing an additional 20 shares during the period. Finally, HM Payson & Co. purchased a new stake in shares of United Rentals during the third quarter worth about $41,000. 96.26% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms have recently weighed in on URI. Morgan Stanley dropped their target price on shares of United Rentals from $775.00 to $765.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Monday. Argus raised their price objective on shares of United Rentals from $840.00 to $880.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, November 20th. Baird R W upgraded shares of United Rentals from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 14th. Citigroup lowered their price objective on shares of United Rentals from $985.00 to $835.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, January 14th. Finally, Barclays raised their price objective on shares of United Rentals from $400.00 to $565.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a report on Friday, October 25th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have issued a hold rating and nine have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, United Rentals presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $814.08.

United Rentals Price Performance

Shares of NYSE URI opened at $754.18 on Wednesday. United Rentals, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $596.48 and a fifty-two week high of $896.98. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $759.85 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $769.92. The company has a market capitalization of $49.26 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.46, a P/E/G ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 1.68. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.42, a quick ratio of 0.92 and a current ratio of 0.98.

United Rentals (NYSE:URI) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, January 29th. The construction company reported $11.59 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $11.65 by ($0.06). United Rentals had a net margin of 16.78% and a return on equity of 34.21%. Analysts expect that United Rentals, Inc. will post 46.09 EPS for the current fiscal year.

United Rentals Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, February 26th. Investors of record on Wednesday, February 12th will be given a dividend of $1.79 per share. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, February 12th. This represents a $7.16 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.95%. This is an increase from United Rentals’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.63. United Rentals’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 16.83%.

United Rentals Company 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.