United Rentals (URI) Set to Announce Earnings on Wednesday

United Rentals (NYSE:URI) is scheduled to post its quarterly earnings results after the market closes on Wednesday, April 24th. Analysts expect United Rentals to post earnings of $8.39 per share for the quarter. Parties that wish to listen to the company’s conference call can do so using this link.

United Rentals (NYSE:URI) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 24th. The construction company reported $11.26 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $10.85 by $0.41. United Rentals had a return on equity of 36.80% and a net margin of 16.91%. The firm had revenue of $3.73 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.63 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $9.74 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 13.1% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts expect United Rentals to post $43 EPS for the current fiscal year and $46 EPS for the next fiscal year.

United Rentals Stock Up 0.2 %

Shares of URI stock opened at $629.30 on Tuesday. The stock’s fifty day moving average price is $679.24 and its 200 day moving average price is $573.90. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.24, a current ratio of 0.81 and a quick ratio of 0.75. United Rentals has a 1-year low of $325.15 and a 1-year high of $732.37. The company has a market cap of $42.27 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.80, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.18 and a beta of 1.84.

United Rentals Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, February 28th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, February 14th were paid a dividend of $1.63 per share. This is a positive change from United Rentals’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.48. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, February 13th. This represents a $6.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.04%. United Rentals’s payout ratio is presently 18.44%.

United Rentals declared that its Board of Directors has approved a stock buyback plan on Wednesday, January 24th that authorizes the company to repurchase $1.50 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the construction company to repurchase up to 3.8% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase plans are often a sign that the company’s leadership believes its stock is undervalued.

Insider Activity at United Rentals

In related news, CFO William E. Grace sold 775 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $655.62, for a total transaction of $508,105.50. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 6,323 shares in the company, valued at $4,145,485.26. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Company insiders own 0.49% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

URI has been the topic of several research analyst reports. The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their target price on shares of United Rentals from $718.00 to $790.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 16th. Robert W. Baird upped their target price on United Rentals from $322.00 to $559.00 and gave the company an “underperform” rating in a research report on Friday, January 26th. Evercore ISI lifted their price target on United Rentals from $575.00 to $740.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 20th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price objective on United Rentals from $630.00 to $710.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, January 26th. Finally, BNP Paribas reaffirmed an “underperform” rating and set a $485.00 target price on shares of United Rentals in a report on Friday, January 5th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, four have assigned a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, United Rentals currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $589.21.

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.