Analysts Set Universal Technical Institute Inc (NYSE:UTI) Price Target at $36.20

Shares of Universal Technical Institute Inc (NYSE:UTI) have been given an average rating of “Moderate Buy” by the seven ratings firms that are covering the stock, Marketbeat.com reports. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, four have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating on the company. The average 12-month price objective among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $36.20.

UTI has been the topic of several research reports. Weiss Ratings cut shares of Universal Technical Institute from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research report on Friday, February 6th. Zacks Research raised shares of Universal Technical Institute from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, February 6th. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Universal Technical Institute from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Saturday, February 7th. Rosenblatt Securities reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $36.00 price target on shares of Universal Technical Institute in a report on Thursday, February 5th. Finally, Barrington Research reissued an “outperform” rating and set a $36.00 price objective on shares of Universal Technical Institute in a research note on Thursday, February 5th.

Universal Technical Institute Price Performance

NYSE:UTI opened at $35.86 on Monday. 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 company has a market capitalization of $1.97 billion, a P/E ratio of 36.97, a P/E/G ratio of 3.25 and a beta of 1.31. Universal Technical Institute has a 12 month low of $21.29 and a 12 month high of $38.02. The business’s 50-day moving average is $29.05 and its 200 day moving average is $28.51.

Universal Technical Institute (NYSE:UTI) last released 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 return on equity of 16.98% and a net margin of 6.28%. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Universal Technical Institute will post 1 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Universal Technical Institute news, EVP Sherrell Smith sold 30,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction 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 transaction, the executive vice president owned 129,375 shares in the company, valued at $4,785,581.25. The trade was a 18.82% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, CEO Jerome Alan Grant sold 60,040 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, February 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $34.95, for a total transaction of $2,098,398.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 430,215 shares in the company, valued at approximately $15,036,014.25. This represents a 12.25% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last quarter, insiders sold 114,461 shares of company stock worth $4,101,832. 9.80% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Universal Technical Institute

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