Markel Group Inc. Grows Position in United Rentals, Inc. (NYSE:URI)

Markel Group Inc. boosted its holdings in United Rentals, Inc. (NYSE:URI) by 18.0% in the third quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 25,950 shares of the construction company’s stock after acquiring an additional 3,950 shares during the period. Markel Group Inc.’s holdings in United Rentals were worth $21,012,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the stock. Crewe Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of United Rentals during the 1st quarter worth $27,000. E Fund Management Hong Kong Co. Ltd. bought a new stake in United Rentals during the third quarter valued at about $31,000. RFP Financial Group LLC increased its position in United Rentals by 115.8% in the second quarter. RFP Financial Group LLC now owns 41 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $27,000 after buying an additional 22 shares in the last quarter. Carmichael Hill & Associates Inc. raised its stake in shares of United Rentals by 80.0% in the third quarter. Carmichael Hill & Associates Inc. now owns 45 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $36,000 after buying an additional 20 shares during the period. Finally, HM Payson & Co. purchased a new position in shares of United Rentals during the 3rd quarter valued at about $41,000. Institutional investors own 96.26% of the company’s stock.

United Rentals Stock Up 1.4 %

Shares of NYSE:URI opened at $874.75 on Friday. United Rentals, Inc. has a 1 year low of $435.80 and a 1 year high of $888.62. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $791.80 and its two-hundred day moving average is $719.75. The firm has a market capitalization of $57.40 billion, a PE ratio of 22.85, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.06 and a beta of 1.68. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.38, a current ratio of 0.82 and a quick ratio of 0.77.

United Rentals (NYSE:URI) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, October 23rd. The construction company reported $11.80 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $12.49 by ($0.69). The company had revenue of $3.99 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.01 billion. United Rentals had a net margin of 17.12% and a return on equity of 34.73%. The business’s revenue was up 6.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $11.73 EPS. Analysts predict that United Rentals, Inc. will post 43.66 EPS for the current year.

United Rentals Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, November 27th. Investors of record on Wednesday, November 13th will be issued a dividend of $1.63 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, November 13th. This represents a $6.52 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.75%. United Rentals’s dividend payout ratio is presently 17.03%.

Insider Transactions at United Rentals

In other news, SVP Anthony S. Leopold sold 900 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, October 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $823.24, for a total value of $740,916.00. Following the sale, the senior vice president now directly owns 2,044 shares in the company, valued at $1,682,702.56. This represents a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.53% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts have weighed in on URI shares. Barclays upped their price target on shares of United Rentals from $400.00 to $565.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a research report on Friday, October 25th. Citigroup increased their price target on United Rentals from $930.00 to $955.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, October 25th. Bank of America upped their price objective on United Rentals from $800.00 to $910.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 24th. Evercore ISI lifted their target price on United Rentals from $774.00 to $795.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, August 19th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group upped their price target on United Rentals from $790.00 to $905.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, July 26th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, four have assigned a hold rating and nine have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $742.50.

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.