Insider Selling: Universal Technical Institute (NYSE:UTI) COO Sells $615,945.00 in Stock

Universal Technical Institute Inc (NYSE:UTI) COO Todd Hitchcock sold 16,500 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $37.33, for a total value of $615,945.00. Following the sale, the chief operating officer directly owned 104,084 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,885,455.72. This trade represents a 13.68% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link.

Universal Technical Institute Stock Down 0.2%

Shares of Universal Technical Institute stock opened at $34.99 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29, a quick ratio of 1.14 and a current ratio of 1.14. Universal Technical Institute Inc has a 52-week low of $21.29 and a 52-week high of $38.02. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $29.36 and its 200-day moving average price is $28.65. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.93 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 36.07, a P/E/G ratio of 3.03 and a beta of 1.31.

Universal Technical Institute (NYSE:UTI) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 4th. The company reported $0.23 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.15 by $0.08. The company had revenue of $220.84 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $216.65 million. Universal Technical Institute had a net margin of 6.28% and a return on equity of 16.98%. Equities research analysts forecast that Universal Technical Institute Inc will post 1 EPS for the current year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts have recently weighed in on UTI shares. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Universal Technical Institute from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, February 6th. Rosenblatt Securities restated a “buy” rating and set a $36.00 price target on shares of Universal Technical Institute in a report on Thursday, February 5th. Weiss Ratings lowered Universal Technical Institute from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research report on Friday, February 6th. Wall Street Zen upgraded Universal Technical Institute from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday. Finally, Barrington Research reissued an “outperform” rating and set a $36.00 target price on shares of Universal Technical Institute in a research note on Thursday, February 5th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have assigned a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Universal Technical Institute currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $36.20.

Institutional Trading of Universal Technical Institute

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Coliseum Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Universal Technical Institute by 46.2% during the 4th quarter. Coliseum Capital Management LLC now owns 3,971,440 shares of the company’s stock worth $103,774,000 after acquiring an additional 1,255,173 shares during the period. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans lifted its stake in shares of Universal Technical Institute by 132.9% in the 4th quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans now owns 1,998,354 shares of the company’s stock valued at $52,217,000 after purchasing an additional 1,140,465 shares during the period. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD lifted its stake in shares of Universal Technical Institute by 65.2% in the 4th quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 1,599,534 shares of the company’s stock valued at $41,797,000 after purchasing an additional 631,070 shares during the period. Nuveen LLC boosted its position in shares of Universal Technical Institute by 168.8% during the fourth quarter. Nuveen LLC now owns 995,323 shares of the company’s stock valued at $26,008,000 after purchasing an additional 625,102 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Baillie Gifford & Co. bought a new stake in shares of Universal Technical Institute during the third quarter valued at approximately $18,901,000. 75.67% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Universal Technical Institute

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.