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

Universal Technical Institute Inc (NYSE:UTI) has been given a consensus recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by the seven brokerages that are currently covering the firm, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and five have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average 12 month price target among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is $36.20.

Several research analysts recently commented on the company. Wall Street Zen raised Universal Technical Institute from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, March 7th. Weiss Ratings cut shares of Universal Technical Institute from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research note on Friday, February 6th. Barrington Research reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $36.00 target price on shares of Universal Technical Institute in a research report on Thursday, February 5th. 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. Finally, Rosenblatt Securities reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $36.00 price target on shares of Universal Technical Institute in a research report on Thursday, February 5th.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, CEO Jerome Alan Grant sold 60,040 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $34.95, for a total value of $2,098,398.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 430,215 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $15,036,014.25. This represents a 12.25% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, EVP Sherrell Smith sold 30,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $36.99, for a total value of $1,109,700.00. Following the transaction, 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 SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold a total of 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 Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of UTI. Montanaro Asset Management Ltd bought a new stake in Universal Technical Institute during the 4th quarter worth approximately $1,158,000. XTX Topco Ltd bought a new position in Universal Technical Institute in the 4th quarter valued at $904,000. Uniplan Investment Counsel Inc. boosted its stake in Universal Technical Institute by 2.2% in the fourth quarter. Uniplan Investment Counsel Inc. now owns 204,594 shares of the company’s stock worth $4,968,000 after purchasing an additional 4,452 shares in the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP boosted its stake in Universal Technical Institute by 12.3% in the fourth quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 807,756 shares of the company’s stock worth $21,107,000 after purchasing an additional 88,252 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Manatuck Hill Partners LLC grew its holdings in shares of Universal Technical Institute by 342.8% during the fourth quarter. Manatuck Hill Partners LLC now owns 264,800 shares of the company’s stock worth $6,919,000 after purchasing an additional 205,000 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 75.67% of the company’s stock.

Universal Technical Institute Trading Down 4.2%

Universal Technical Institute stock opened at $38.00 on Friday. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $32.06 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $29.57. The company has a quick ratio of 1.14, a current ratio of 1.14 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29. Universal Technical Institute has a 12 month low of $21.29 and a 12 month high of $40.41. The stock has a market cap of $2.09 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 39.18, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.43 and a beta of 1.31.

Universal Technical Institute (NYSE:UTI) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 4th. The company reported $0.23 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.15 by $0.08. The company had revenue of $220.84 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $216.65 million. Universal Technical Institute had a return on equity of 16.98% and a net margin of 6.28%. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Universal Technical Institute will post 1 EPS for the current year.

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.