United Rentals, Inc. (NYSE:URI) Shares Purchased by Markel Group Inc.

Markel Group Inc. boosted its position in United Rentals, Inc. (NYSE:URI) by 14.3% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 29,650 shares of the construction company’s stock after buying an additional 3,700 shares during the quarter. Markel Group Inc.’s holdings in United Rentals were worth $20,887,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Rialto Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in United Rentals in the 4th quarter worth $25,000. ORG Wealth Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of United Rentals in the 4th quarter valued at about $26,000. Hanson & Doremus Investment Management acquired a new stake in shares of United Rentals in the 4th quarter valued at about $33,000. Kestra Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of United Rentals in the 4th quarter valued at about $34,000. Finally, OFI Invest Asset Management acquired a new stake in shares of United Rentals in the 4th quarter valued at about $36,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 96.26% of the company’s stock.

United Rentals Price Performance

NYSE URI opened at $600.34 on Tuesday. United Rentals, Inc. has a 52 week low of $585.27 and a 52 week high of $896.98. The company has a current ratio of 0.98, a quick ratio of 0.92 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.42. The stock has a market cap of $39.21 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.49, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.43 and a beta of 1.76. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $709.06 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $764.37.

United Rentals (NYSE:URI) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, January 29th. The construction company reported $11.59 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $11.65 by ($0.06). United Rentals had a return on equity of 34.21% and a net margin of 16.78%. Analysts forecast that United Rentals, Inc. will post 44.8 EPS for the current year.

United Rentals Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, February 26th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, February 12th were given a $1.79 dividend. This is a boost from United Rentals’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.63. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, February 12th. This represents a $7.16 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.19%. United Rentals’s dividend payout ratio is 18.48%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages have recently issued reports on URI. Citigroup cut their target price on shares of United Rentals from $985.00 to $835.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, January 14th. Truist Financial restated a “buy” rating and issued a $956.00 target price (down previously from $963.00) on shares of United Rentals in a research note on Friday, January 31st. Robert W. Baird upgraded shares of United Rentals from an “underperform” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $658.00 target price on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, January 14th. Argus upped their target price 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. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price objective on shares of United Rentals from $940.00 to $1,000.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, January 31st. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have issued a hold rating and nine have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $829.00.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, CFO William E. Grace sold 1,100 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $638.10, for a total value of $701,910.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 6,880 shares in the company, valued at $4,390,128. This trade represents a 13.78 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. 0.53% of the stock is owned by insiders.

United Rentals 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.