Insider Selling: United Rentals, Inc. (NYSE:URI) CFO Sells $701,910.00 in Stock

United Rentals, Inc. (NYSE:URI) CFO William E. Grace sold 1,100 shares of United Rentals stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $638.10, for a total transaction of $701,910.00. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 6,880 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,390,128. The trade was a 13.78 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website.

United Rentals Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE URI traded up $3.67 during trading hours on Wednesday, reaching $642.29. The stock had a trading volume of 609,168 shares, compared to its average volume of 695,702. The firm has a market cap of $41.95 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.58, a PEG ratio of 1.43 and a beta of 1.68. United Rentals, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $596.48 and a fifty-two week high of $896.98. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $726.21 and a 200-day moving average of $769.89. The company has a current ratio of 0.98, a quick ratio of 0.92 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.42.

United Rentals (NYSE:URI) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, January 29th. The construction company reported $11.59 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $11.65 by ($0.06). United Rentals had a return on equity of 34.21% and a net margin of 16.78%. Equities research analysts predict that United Rentals, Inc. will post 44.8 earnings per share for the current year.

United Rentals Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, February 26th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, February 12th will be issued a $1.79 dividend. This is an increase from United Rentals’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.63. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, February 12th. This represents a $7.16 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.11%. United Rentals’s payout ratio is presently 18.48%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Leigh Baldwin & CO. LLC purchased a new stake in United Rentals in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $470,000. B. Riley Wealth Advisors Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of United Rentals by 4.2% in the 4th quarter. B. Riley Wealth Advisors Inc. now owns 2,409 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $1,697,000 after buying an additional 96 shares during the period. Polar Asset Management Partners Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of United Rentals in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $1,198,000. American Trust grew its holdings in United Rentals by 1.7% during the fourth quarter. American Trust now owns 1,228 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $865,000 after acquiring an additional 21 shares during the period. Finally, Baer Investment Advisory LLC purchased a new position in United Rentals in the fourth quarter worth $2,243,000. 96.26% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms have commented on URI. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on United Rentals from $940.00 to $1,000.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, January 31st. Argus boosted their price target on shares of United Rentals from $840.00 to $880.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, November 20th. Baird R W upgraded United Rentals from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 14th. Citigroup decreased their price objective on United Rentals from $985.00 to $835.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, January 14th. Finally, Robert W. Baird raised shares of United Rentals from an “underperform” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $658.00 price objective for the company in a research report on Tuesday, January 14th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have given a hold rating and nine have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $829.00.

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.