Universal Technical Institute Inc (NYSE:UTI) Receives Average Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from Analysts

Universal Technical Institute Inc (NYSE:UTI) has received an average recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the six brokerages that are currently covering the firm, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the company. The average 12 month target price among analysts that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $37.50.

UTI has been the subject of several analyst reports. 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. Rosenblatt Securities restated a “buy” rating and issued a $36.00 target price on shares of Universal Technical Institute in a research report on Thursday, February 5th. Zacks Research raised Universal Technical Institute from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, February 6th. Wall Street Zen upgraded Universal Technical Institute from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, March 7th. Finally, Weiss Ratings downgraded Universal Technical Institute from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research report on Friday, February 6th.

Universal Technical Institute Price Performance

Shares of UTI stock opened at $36.04 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29, a current ratio of 1.14 and a quick ratio of 1.14. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $32.62 and its two-hundred day moving average is $29.79. Universal Technical Institute has a 12 month low of $21.29 and a 12 month high of $40.41. The company has a market capitalization of $1.98 billion, a PE ratio of 37.15, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.20 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 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.15 by $0.08. The business had revenue of $220.84 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $216.65 million. Universal Technical Institute had a net margin of 6.28% and a return on equity of 16.98%. Analysts predict that Universal Technical Institute will post 1 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Activity at Universal Technical Institute

In related news, Director Shannon Lei Okinaka sold 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, March 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $34.74, for a total transaction of $347,400.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 19,808 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $688,129.92. This trade represents a 33.55% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, 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 completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 129,375 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,785,581.25. This trade represents a 18.82% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold a total of 145,961 shares of company stock valued at $5,248,127 over the last quarter. 9.80% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of UTI. Royal Bank of Canada raised its holdings in shares of Universal Technical Institute by 47.6% in the 1st quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 44,564 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,144,000 after buying an additional 14,364 shares during the period. AQR Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in Universal Technical Institute during the 1st quarter valued at about $1,226,000. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. grew its position in Universal Technical Institute by 23.2% in the 1st quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 27,688 shares of the company’s stock valued at $711,000 after acquiring an additional 5,216 shares in the last quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Universal Technical Institute during the first quarter worth about $57,000. Finally, UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC increased its stake in Universal Technical Institute by 13.4% during the first quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 84,223 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,163,000 after purchasing an additional 9,951 shares during the period. 75.67% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.