United Rentals, Inc. (NYSE:URI) Shares Purchased by Franklin Resources Inc.

Franklin Resources Inc. increased its position in shares of United Rentals, Inc. (NYSE:URI) by 9.8% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 1,093,350 shares of the construction company’s stock after buying an additional 97,336 shares during the quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. owned about 1.67% of United Rentals worth $770,199,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Rialto Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in United Rentals during the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. ORG Wealth Partners LLC purchased a new stake in United Rentals during the 4th quarter worth about $26,000. Murphy & Mullick Capital Management Corp acquired a new stake in United Rentals during the fourth quarter worth approximately $27,000. Meeder Asset Management Inc. grew its holdings in United Rentals by 241.7% in the 4th quarter. Meeder Asset Management Inc. now owns 41 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $29,000 after buying an additional 29 shares during the period. Finally, Hanson & Doremus Investment Management acquired a new position in United Rentals during the fourth quarter worth approximately $33,000. 96.26% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

United Rentals Stock Down 2.9 %

Shares of NYSE URI opened at $627.10 on Monday. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $686.97 and a 200 day moving average price of $755.28. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.42, a quick ratio of 0.92 and a current ratio of 0.98. The stock has a market cap of $40.97 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.18, a P/E/G ratio of 1.43 and a beta of 1.76. United Rentals, Inc. has a 52-week low of $585.27 and a 52-week high of $896.98.

United Rentals (NYSE:URI) last posted its quarterly earnings data 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 net margin of 16.78% and a return on equity of 34.21%. Analysts expect that United Rentals, Inc. will post 44.8 EPS for the current year.

United Rentals Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, February 26th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, February 12th were paid a dividend of $1.79 per share. This represents a $7.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.14%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, February 12th. This is a boost from United Rentals’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.63. United Rentals’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 18.48%.

Insider Activity

In related news, CFO William E. Grace sold 1,100 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $638.10, for a total transaction of $701,910.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 6,880 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,390,128. This represents a 13.78 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. 0.53% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts recently weighed in on URI shares. Sanford C. Bernstein raised shares of United Rentals from an “underperform” rating to a “market perform” rating and decreased their price target for the stock from $705.00 to $666.00 in a research report on Tuesday, March 25th. Evercore ISI decreased their price objective on shares of United Rentals from $1,004.00 to $974.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, February 19th. Truist Financial reissued a “buy” rating and set a $956.00 price target (down from $963.00) on shares of United Rentals in a research report on Friday, January 31st. Morgan Stanley decreased their target price on United Rentals from $775.00 to $765.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, February 3rd. Finally, Robert W. Baird raised shares of United Rentals from an “underperform” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $658.00 target price for the company in a research note on Tuesday, January 14th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have given a hold rating and nine have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $804.15.

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.