Universal Technical Institute (NYSE:UTI) Sets New 1-Year High – Here’s What Happened

Universal Technical Institute Inc (NYSE:UTI) hit a new 52-week high on Wednesday . The stock traded as high as $46.04 and last traded at $46.1950, with a volume of 621411 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $42.77.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages have recently issued reports on UTI. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Universal Technical Institute from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, March 7th. B. Riley Financial restated a “buy” rating on shares of Universal Technical Institute in a research report on Thursday, April 30th. Weiss Ratings raised Universal Technical Institute from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a report on Tuesday, June 23rd. Rosenblatt Securities lifted their price objective on shares of Universal Technical Institute from $36.00 to $45.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, May 7th. Finally, Northland Securities set a $41.00 price target on Universal Technical Institute in a research report on Thursday, May 7th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $44.80.

Universal Technical Institute Stock Performance

The company has a market capitalization of $2.59 billion, a P/E ratio of 60.61, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.63 and a beta of 1.25. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38, a quick ratio of 1.17 and a current ratio of 1.17. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $39.09 and its 200 day moving average price is $34.04.

Universal Technical Institute (NYSE:UTI) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 6th. The company reported $0.01 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. Universal Technical Institute had a return on equity of 13.02% and a net margin of 4.91%.The firm had revenue of $221.40 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $221.61 million. As a group, equities analysts expect that Universal Technical Institute Inc will post 0.76 EPS for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Director Coliseum Capital Management, L sold 3,000,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $41.40, for a total value of $124,200,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 971,440 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $40,217,616. This represents a 75.54% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director Linda J. Srere sold 15,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, May 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $36.59, for a total value of $548,850.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 127,564 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,667,566.76. This trade represents a 10.52% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold a total of 3,117,545 shares of company stock worth $128,998,420 in the last three months. 9.80% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Universal Technical Institute

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of UTI. Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. bought a new position in shares of Universal Technical Institute during the 2nd quarter worth $27,000. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. lifted its position in shares of Universal Technical Institute by 543.5% during the first quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 888 shares of the company’s stock worth $32,000 after acquiring an additional 750 shares in the last quarter. Clearstead Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of Universal Technical Institute by 187.5% in the fourth quarter. Clearstead Advisors LLC now owns 1,446 shares of the company’s stock valued at $38,000 after purchasing an additional 943 shares in the last quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Universal Technical Institute during the 1st quarter worth about $57,000. Finally, SBI Securities Co. Ltd. grew its holdings in Universal Technical Institute by 4,500.0% during the 4th quarter. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. now owns 5,428 shares of the company’s stock valued at $142,000 after buying an additional 5,310 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors 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.