Granahan Investment Management LLC Raises Stake in Universal Technical Institute Inc $UTI

Granahan Investment Management LLC grew its holdings in Universal Technical Institute Inc (NYSE:UTI) by 107.7% in the third quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 124,246 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 64,421 shares during the period. Granahan Investment Management LLC’s holdings in Universal Technical Institute were worth $4,044,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the business. Bank of America Corp DE boosted its stake in shares of Universal Technical Institute by 10.6% during the third quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 241,819 shares of the company’s stock worth $7,871,000 after buying an additional 23,092 shares during the period. Ameriprise Financial Inc. increased its position in Universal Technical Institute by 30.2% in the 3rd quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 135,826 shares of the company’s stock valued at $4,421,000 after acquiring an additional 31,505 shares during the period. Creative Planning purchased a new stake in Universal Technical Institute during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $254,000. Lazard Asset Management LLC raised its stake in Universal Technical Institute by 12.5% during the 3rd quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC now owns 52,078 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,695,000 after acquiring an additional 5,771 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Credit Agricole S A acquired a new stake in Universal Technical Institute during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $2,467,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 75.67% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

UTI has been the topic of several analyst reports. Rosenblatt Securities reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $36.00 target price on shares of Universal Technical Institute in a research note on Thursday, February 5th. Wall Street Zen upgraded Universal Technical Institute from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, March 7th. Zacks Research raised Universal Technical Institute from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, February 6th. Barrington Research reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $36.00 price objective on shares of Universal Technical Institute in a research report on Thursday, February 5th. Finally, Weiss Ratings cut shares of Universal Technical Institute from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research note on Friday, February 6th. One investment 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 MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $36.20.

Insider Transactions at Universal Technical Institute

In other Universal Technical Institute news, Director Shannon Lei Okinaka sold 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, March 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $34.74, for a total value of $347,400.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 19,808 shares in the company, valued at approximately $688,129.92. This represents a 33.55% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, SVP Carolyn Ann Frank sold 1,750 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, February 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $30.08, for a total value of $52,640.00. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 30,272 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $910,581.76. This trade represents a 5.46% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold a total of 140,961 shares of company stock valued at $5,065,177 in the last three months. Insiders own 9.80% of the company’s stock.

Universal Technical Institute Price Performance

Shares of UTI opened at $36.09 on Tuesday. 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 stock’s 50 day moving average is $30.41 and its two-hundred day moving average is $29.00. Universal Technical Institute Inc has a twelve month low of $21.29 and a twelve month high of $38.02. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.99 billion, a PE ratio of 37.21, a P/E/G ratio of 3.12 and a beta of 1.31.

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

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.