Sherrell Smith Sells 30,000 Shares of Universal Technical Institute (NYSE:UTI) Stock

Universal Technical Institute Inc (NYSE:UTI) EVP Sherrell Smith sold 30,000 shares of Universal Technical Institute stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $36.99, for a total transaction of $1,109,700.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 129,375 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,785,581.25. The trade was a 18.82% 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.

Sherrell Smith also recently made the following trade(s):

• On Monday, March 2nd, Sherrell Smith sold 22,671 shares of Universal Technical Institute stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $37.10, for a total transaction of $841,094.10.

Universal Technical Institute Price Performance

Shares of Universal Technical Institute stock traded down $1.64 on Wednesday, hitting $35.86. 898,526 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,038,078. Universal Technical Institute Inc has a 12-month low of $21.29 and a 12-month high of $38.02. The company has a current ratio of 1.14, a quick ratio of 1.14 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29. The company has a market cap of $1.97 billion, a P/E ratio of 36.97, a P/E/G ratio of 3.25 and a beta of 1.31. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $29.05 and its 200 day simple moving average is $28.51.

Universal Technical Institute (NYSE:UTI) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, February 4th. The company reported $0.23 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.15 by $0.08. Universal Technical Institute had a net margin of 6.28% and a return on equity of 16.98%. The company had revenue of $220.84 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $216.65 million. Analysts expect that Universal Technical Institute Inc will post 1 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Universal Technical Institute

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Baillie Gifford & Co. bought a new stake in shares of Universal Technical Institute in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $18,901,000. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. lifted its stake in Universal Technical Institute by 68.5% in the third quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 152,499 shares of the company’s stock worth $4,964,000 after acquiring an additional 61,971 shares during the period. Franklin Resources Inc. bought a new stake in Universal Technical Institute in the second quarter valued at $721,000. Fortress Investment Group LLC purchased a new position in Universal Technical Institute during the 2nd quarter valued at $5,901,000. Finally, Jump Financial LLC raised its holdings in Universal Technical Institute by 511.9% in the 2nd quarter. Jump Financial LLC now owns 237,412 shares of the company’s stock worth $8,046,000 after purchasing an additional 198,612 shares in the last quarter. 75.67% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

UTI has been the topic of a number of research reports. Weiss Ratings cut Universal Technical Institute from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a report on Friday, February 6th. Barrington Research reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $36.00 price target on shares of Universal Technical Institute in a research report on Thursday, February 5th. Rosenblatt Securities restated a “buy” rating and issued a $36.00 price objective on shares of Universal Technical Institute in a report on Thursday, February 5th. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Universal Technical Institute from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Saturday, February 7th. Finally, Zacks Research upgraded shares of Universal Technical Institute from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, February 6th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have issued a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Universal Technical Institute presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $36.20.

Universal Technical Institute Company Profile

Universal Technical Institute, Inc (NYSE: UTI) is a leading provider of post-secondary education for students pursuing careers as professional automotive, diesel, collision repair, motorcycle and marine technicians, as well as in welding and CNC machining. The company designs and delivers hands-on training through a blend of classroom instruction and experiential lab work, preparing graduates for entry-level positions in the transportation, manufacturing and energy sectors. UTI’s curriculum emphasizes industry-recognized credentials and proprietary coursework developed in collaboration with original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to ensure alignment with evolving employer needs.

Through a network of campus locations across the United States and select centers in Canada, Universal Technical Institute offers diploma and certificate programs ranging from 36 to 74 weeks in length.