United Rentals (NYSE:URI) Stock Rating Upgraded by Robert W. Baird

United Rentals (NYSE:URI) was upgraded by equities researchers at Robert W. Baird from an “underperform” rating to a “neutral” rating in a note issued to investors on Tuesday, MarketBeat reports. The brokerage currently has a $658.00 price objective on the construction company’s stock. Robert W. Baird’s price target indicates a potential downside of 11.28% from the stock’s current price.

Several other equities analysts also recently issued reports on the stock. Citigroup upped their price objective on shares of United Rentals from $955.00 to $985.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, December 9th. Bank of America upped their target price on United Rentals from $800.00 to $910.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 24th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on United Rentals from $780.00 to $940.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, September 23rd. Barclays increased their price objective on United Rentals from $400.00 to $565.00 and gave the company an “underweight” rating in a report on Friday, October 25th. Finally, Argus raised their target price on shares of United Rentals from $840.00 to $880.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 20th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating and ten have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $805.25.

United Rentals Price Performance

Shares of NYSE URI opened at $741.70 on Tuesday. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $785.71 and its 200-day simple moving average is $760.02. The firm has a market capitalization of $48.67 billion, a PE ratio of 19.37, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.46 and a beta of 1.69. United Rentals has a fifty-two week low of $545.16 and a fifty-two week high of $896.98. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.38, a quick ratio of 0.77 and a current ratio of 0.82.

United Rentals (NYSE:URI) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, October 23rd. The construction company reported $11.80 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $12.49 by ($0.69). United Rentals had a return on equity of 34.73% and a net margin of 17.12%. The company had revenue of $3.99 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.01 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $11.73 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.0% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that United Rentals will post 43.46 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at United Rentals

In related news, SVP Anthony S. Leopold sold 900 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, October 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $823.24, for a total value of $740,916.00. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president now owns 2,044 shares in the company, valued at $1,682,702.56. This trade represents a 30.57 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Company insiders own 0.49% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On United Rentals

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. ORG Wealth Partners LLC acquired a new position in United Rentals during the fourth quarter worth $26,000. E Fund Management Hong Kong Co. Ltd. acquired a new stake in United Rentals in the third quarter valued at $31,000. Carmichael Hill & Associates Inc. boosted its position in shares of United Rentals by 80.0% during the 3rd quarter. Carmichael Hill & Associates Inc. now owns 45 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $36,000 after purchasing an additional 20 shares in the last quarter. HM Payson & Co. acquired a new position in shares of United Rentals during the 3rd quarter worth $41,000. Finally, Trust Co. of Vermont lifted its stake in shares of United Rentals by 6,000.0% in the third quarter. Trust Co. of Vermont now owns 61 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $49,000 after purchasing an additional 60 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 96.26% of the company’s stock.

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.