Universal Technical Institute (NYSE:UTI) Sets New 52-Week Low – Should You Sell?

Universal Technical Institute Inc (NYSE:UTI) shares reached a new 52-week low during trading on Friday . The stock traded as low as $20.18 and last traded at $20.3280, with a volume of 1323002 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $20.60.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts have weighed in on UTI shares. Weiss Ratings raised Universal Technical Institute from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a report on Tuesday, August 25th. Northland Securities set a $35.00 target price on shares of Universal Technical Institute in a research report on Thursday. B. Riley Financial reduced their target price on shares of Universal Technical Institute from $49.00 to $48.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, August 6th. Rosenblatt Securities reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $45.00 price target on shares of Universal Technical Institute in a research report on Thursday, August 6th. Finally, Truist Financial dropped their price target on shares of Universal Technical Institute from $47.00 to $38.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, August 6th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $42.83.

Universal Technical Institute Price Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.46, a quick ratio of 1.30 and a current ratio of 1.30. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $32.09 and a 200-day moving average price of $36.01. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.11 billion, a P/E ratio of 32.62, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.23 and a beta of 1.17.

Universal Technical Institute (NYSE:UTI) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, August 5th. The company reported $0.04 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate 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 firm had revenue of $218.91 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $220.40 million. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Universal Technical Institute Inc will post 0.61 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, insider Kevin Prehn sold 4,545 shares of Universal Technical Institute stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $40.00, for a total transaction of $181,800.00. Following the transaction, the insider owned 27,025 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,081,000. This trade represents a 14.40% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CEO Jerome Grant sold 94,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $41.40, for a total transaction of $3,912,300.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 335,715 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $13,898,601. This represents a 21.97% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Company insiders own 9.80% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Universal Technical Institute

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Nykredit A S acquired a new position in Universal Technical Institute in the second quarter valued at about $25,000. Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. bought a new position in shares of Universal Technical Institute during the 2nd quarter valued at about $27,000. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. grew its position in shares of Universal Technical Institute by 543.5% in the 1st quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 888 shares of the company’s stock valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 750 shares during the period. Clearstead Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of Universal Technical Institute by 187.5% in the 4th quarter. Clearstead Advisors LLC now owns 1,446 shares of the company’s stock valued at $38,000 after purchasing an additional 943 shares during the period. Finally, NewEdge Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Universal Technical Institute during the 1st quarter worth approximately $57,000. 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 provider of postsecondary education and training for careers in the transportation, skilled trades and energy industries. The company offers programs in automotive, diesel, collision repair, motorcycle, marine, welding, CNC machining, wind energy and other technical fields, combining classroom instruction with hands-on laboratory experience.

Universal Technical Institute operates through a portfolio of specialized school brands, including Universal Technical Institute, Motorcycle Mechanics Institute, Marine Mechanics Institute, NASCAR Technical Institute and MIAT College of Technology.