Universal Technical Institute (NYSE:UTI) Hits New 52-Week High – Should You Buy?

Universal Technical Institute Inc (NYSE:UTI) shares hit a new 52-week high during trading on Friday . The company traded as high as $36.64 and last traded at $36.3210, with a volume of 711667 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $34.40.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have weighed in on the stock. 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 downgraded Universal Technical Institute from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Saturday, February 7th. Weiss Ratings lowered Universal Technical Institute from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a report on Friday, February 6th. Barrington Research restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $36.00 target price on shares of Universal Technical Institute in a research note on Thursday, February 5th. Finally, Zacks Research raised Universal Technical Institute from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, February 6th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have given a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Universal Technical Institute currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $36.20.

Universal Technical Institute Trading Up 5.0%

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29, a quick ratio of 1.14 and a current ratio of 1.14. The firm has a market cap of $1.99 billion, a P/E ratio of 37.30, a P/E/G ratio of 3.02 and a beta of 1.36. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $28.25 and a 200 day simple moving average of $28.19.

Universal Technical Institute (NYSE:UTI) last released its quarterly earnings data 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%. On average, equities research analysts predict that Universal Technical Institute Inc will post 1 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, SVP Carolyn Ann Frank sold 1,750 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $30.08, for a total transaction of $52,640.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president owned 30,272 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $910,581.76. The trade was a 5.46% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director Coliseum Capital Management, L bought 191,830 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, December 5th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $25.38 per share, for a total transaction of $4,868,645.40. Following the completion of the purchase, the director directly owned 3,971,440 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $100,795,147.20. This represents a 5.08% increase in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this purchase is available in the SEC filing. Insiders purchased 1,255,173 shares of company stock worth $30,812,798 in the last quarter. 9.80% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

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