Universal Technical Institute (NYSE:UTI) Hits New 52-Week High – Here’s Why

Universal Technical Institute Inc (NYSE:UTI)’s share price hit a new 52-week high during trading on Monday . The company traded as high as $38.17 and last traded at $38.0910, with a volume of 648674 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $35.34.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Universal Technical Institute from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, March 7th. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Universal Technical Institute from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, February 6th. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of Universal Technical Institute from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research report on Friday, February 6th. Barrington Research reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $36.00 price target on shares of Universal Technical Institute in a research note on Thursday, February 5th. Finally, Rosenblatt Securities reissued a “buy” rating and set a $36.00 price target on shares of Universal Technical Institute in a research report on Thursday, February 5th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have issued a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $36.20.

Universal Technical Institute Stock Up 7.8%

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 $31.13 and its two-hundred day moving average is $29.27. The firm has a market capitalization of $2.10 billion, a P/E ratio of 39.27, a PEG ratio of 3.06 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 (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.15 by $0.08. The firm had revenue of $220.84 million for 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%. Research analysts predict that Universal Technical Institute Inc will post 1 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CEO Jerome Alan Grant sold 60,040 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $34.95, for a total value 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 trade represents a 12.25% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director Shannon Lei Okinaka sold 10,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, March 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $34.74, for a total value of $347,400.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 19,808 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $688,129.92. The trade was a 33.55% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold 145,961 shares of company stock worth $5,248,127 in the last 90 days. 9.80% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Universal Technical Institute

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Coliseum Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of 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 valued at $103,774,000 after purchasing an additional 1,255,173 shares during the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its holdings in Universal Technical Institute by 4.3% in the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 3,456,452 shares of the company’s stock valued at $112,508,000 after acquiring an additional 141,426 shares during the period. Wasatch Advisors LP lifted its position in Universal Technical Institute by 22.5% during the third quarter. Wasatch Advisors LP now owns 2,361,019 shares of the company’s stock worth $76,851,000 after acquiring an additional 433,824 shares during the last quarter. Congress Asset Management Co. lifted its position in Universal Technical Institute by 11.2% during the third quarter. Congress Asset Management Co. now owns 2,076,255 shares of the company’s stock worth $67,582,000 after acquiring an additional 209,476 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Thrivent Financial for Lutherans boosted its holdings in shares of Universal Technical Institute by 132.9% during the fourth 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 period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 75.67% of the company’s stock.

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.