Universal Technical Institute (NYSE:UTI) Trading Down 8% – Should You Sell?

Universal Technical Institute Inc (NYSE:UTI)’s share price was down 8% during trading on Monday . The stock traded as low as $26.52 and last traded at $26.6460. Approximately 2,040,300 shares traded hands during trading, an increase of 113% from the average daily volume of 959,656 shares. The stock had previously closed at $28.95.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms have recently weighed in on UTI. Barrington Research upped their price target on shares of Universal Technical Institute from $36.00 to $42.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, May 7th. B. Riley Financial reduced their price objective on Universal Technical Institute from $49.00 to $48.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday. Griffin Securities set a $49.00 target price on Universal Technical Institute in a research note on Thursday, April 30th. Truist Financial dropped their target price on Universal Technical Institute from $47.00 to $38.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday. Finally, Northland Securities set a $41.00 price target on Universal Technical Institute in a research note on Thursday, May 7th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Universal Technical Institute currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $43.83.

Universal Technical Institute Price Performance

The company has a quick ratio of 1.30, a current ratio of 1.30 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.46. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.47 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 43.02, a P/E/G ratio of 3.18 and a beta of 1.25. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $41.46 and its 200 day simple moving average is $37.04.

Universal Technical Institute (NYSE:UTI) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 5th. The company reported $0.04 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.02 by $0.02. Universal Technical Institute had a return on equity of 10.18% and a net margin of 3.88%.The company had revenue of $218.91 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $220.40 million. Equities research analysts forecast that Universal Technical Institute Inc will post 0.61 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Universal Technical Institute news, CEO Jerome Alan Grant sold 94,500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $41.40, for a total transaction of $3,912,300.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 335,715 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $13,898,601. This represents a 21.97% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, insider Kevin Prehn sold 4,545 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $40.00, for a total value of $181,800.00. Following the transaction, the insider owned 27,025 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,081,000. This trade represents a 14.40% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold a total of 3,102,545 shares of company stock valued at $128,449,570 over the last 90 days. 9.80% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Universal Technical Institute

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Universal Technical Institute during the 2nd quarter worth $27,000. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. raised its holdings in Universal Technical Institute by 543.5% in the 1st quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 888 shares of the company’s stock worth $32,000 after acquiring an additional 750 shares during the period. Clearstead Advisors LLC raised its holdings in Universal Technical Institute by 187.5% in the 4th quarter. Clearstead Advisors LLC now owns 1,446 shares of the company’s stock worth $38,000 after acquiring an additional 943 shares during the period. NewEdge Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Universal Technical Institute during the 1st quarter worth $57,000. Finally, State of Wyoming acquired a new position in Universal Technical Institute during the 2nd quarter worth $109,000. Institutional investors own 75.67% of the company’s stock.

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.