Universal Technical Institute (NYSE:UTI) Stock Price Up 12.2% – Still a Buy?

Universal Technical Institute Inc (NYSE:UTI)’s stock price rose 12.2% during trading on Monday. The stock traded as high as $21.81 and last traded at $22.3690. Approximately 127,890 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 89% from the average session volume of 1,168,484 shares. The stock had previously closed at $19.93.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts have recently weighed in on the company. B. Riley Financial cut their target price on Universal Technical Institute from $48.00 to $45.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, October 28th. Texas Capital lowered Universal Technical Institute from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, September 21st. Northland Securities set a $35.00 price target on Universal Technical Institute in a research report on Thursday, September 10th. Weiss Ratings lowered Universal Technical Institute from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a report on Tuesday, October 6th. Finally, Rosenblatt Securities reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $45.00 price target on shares of Universal Technical Institute in a report on Thursday, August 6th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three 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 price target of $42.33.

Universal Technical Institute Price Performance

The company has a current ratio of 1.30, a quick ratio of 1.30 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.46. The company has a market cap of $1.23 billion, a P/E ratio of 35.95, a PEG ratio of 1.81 and a beta of 1.18. The business’s fifty day moving average is $20.78 and its 200 day moving average is $32.07.

Institutional Trading of Universal Technical Institute

A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of UTI. BlackRock Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Universal Technical Institute in the second quarter valued at $323,080,000. Punch & Associates Investment Management Inc. bought a new position in shares of Universal Technical Institute during the 2nd quarter worth $46,879,000. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP grew its stake in shares of Universal Technical Institute by 0.7% during the 1st quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 1,296,989 shares of the company’s stock worth $46,826,000 after acquiring an additional 9,153 shares during the period. Alyeska Investment Group L.P. grew its stake in shares of Universal Technical Institute by 18.7% during the 2nd quarter. Alyeska Investment Group L.P. now owns 1,075,771 shares of the company’s stock worth $46,011,000 after acquiring an additional 169,513 shares during the period. Finally, AWM Investment Company Inc. bought a new position in shares of Universal Technical Institute during the 2nd quarter worth $20,919,000. 75.67% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Universal Technical Institute

Universal Technical Institute, Inc (NYSE: UTI) is a provider of postsecondary technical education in the United States. Founded in 1965, the company prepares students for careers in transportation, skilled trades, energy, and other technical fields through hands-on instruction and industry-focused training.

Its programs cover automotive, diesel, collision repair, motorcycle, marine, welding, CNC machining, robotics and automation, wind energy, and industrial technology. The company operates under several specialized brands, including Universal Technical Institute, Motorcycle Mechanics Institute, Marine Mechanics Institute, NASCAR Technical Institute, and MIAT College of Technology.