Universal Technical Institute (NYSE:UTI) Reaches New 12-Month Low – Time to Sell?

Universal Technical Institute Inc (NYSE:UTI)’s share price reached a new 52-week low during mid-day trading on Friday . The stock traded as low as $21.23 and last traded at $21.24, with a volume of 587775 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $21.62.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Barrington Research lifted their target price on shares of Universal Technical Institute from $36.00 to $42.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, May 7th. B. Riley Financial lowered their price target on Universal Technical Institute from $49.00 to $48.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, August 6th. Northland Securities set a $41.00 price objective on Universal Technical Institute in a research report on Thursday, May 7th. Truist Financial reduced their price objective on Universal Technical Institute from $47.00 to $38.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, August 6th. Finally, Weiss Ratings raised Universal Technical Institute from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research report on Tuesday. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $43.83.

Universal Technical Institute Stock Down 1.4%

The firm has a market capitalization of $1.17 billion, a PE ratio of 34.37, a P/E/G ratio of 2.34 and a beta of 1.25. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $36.40 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $36.59. The company has a quick ratio of 1.30, a current ratio of 1.30 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.46.

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

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CEO Jerome Alan Grant sold 94,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $41.40, for a total value of $3,912,300.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 335,715 shares in the company, valued at approximately $13,898,601. The trade was a 21.97% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, insider Kevin Prehn sold 4,545 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $40.00, for a total value of $181,800.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 27,025 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,081,000. This represents a 14.40% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold a total of 3,102,545 shares of company stock valued at $128,449,570 in the last three months. 9.80% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of Universal Technical Institute

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in UTI. Nykredit A S acquired a new stake in Universal Technical Institute in the second quarter valued at $25,000. Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. bought a new position in Universal Technical Institute during the 2nd quarter valued at $27,000. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. grew its holdings in Universal Technical Institute by 543.5% during 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 in the last quarter. Clearstead Advisors LLC grew its holdings in Universal Technical Institute by 187.5% during 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 in the last quarter. Finally, NewEdge Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Universal Technical Institute in the 1st quarter worth about $57,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds 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.