Universal Technical Institute (NYSE:UTI) Reaches New 12-Month High – Should You Buy?

Universal Technical Institute Inc (NYSE:UTI)’s stock price reached a new 52-week high during trading on Friday . The company traded as high as $36.64 and last traded at $36.3210, with a volume of 711667 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $34.40.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms recently commented on UTI. Weiss Ratings cut Universal Technical Institute from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research note on Friday, February 6th. Rosenblatt Securities reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $36.00 price objective on shares of Universal Technical Institute in a research report on Thursday, February 5th. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Universal Technical Institute from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Saturday, February 7th. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Universal Technical Institute from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, February 6th. Finally, Barrington Research reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $36.00 price objective on shares of Universal Technical Institute in a report on Thursday, February 5th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have assigned a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $36.20.

Universal Technical Institute Stock Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29, a quick ratio of 1.14 and a current ratio of 1.14. The stock has a market cap of $1.99 billion, a PE ratio of 37.35, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.13 and a beta of 1.36. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $28.45 and its 200 day simple moving average is $28.27.

Universal Technical Institute (NYSE:UTI) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 4th. The company reported $0.23 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.15 by $0.08. The business 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%. Analysts expect that Universal Technical Institute Inc will post 1 earnings per share for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, SVP Carolyn Ann Frank sold 1,750 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $30.08, for a total value of $52,640.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 30,272 shares in the company, valued at approximately $910,581.76. This represents a 5.46% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director Coliseum Capital Management, L purchased 467,020 shares of Universal Technical Institute stock in a transaction on Tuesday, December 2nd. The shares were acquired at an average price of $24.40 per share, for a total transaction of $11,395,288.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 3,424,374 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $83,554,725.60. The trade was a 15.79% increase in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this purchase are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders bought 1,255,173 shares of company stock valued at $30,812,798 over the last ninety days. Corporate insiders own 9.80% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Universal Technical Institute

Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Baillie Gifford & Co. bought a new stake in Universal Technical Institute in the 3rd quarter worth about $18,901,000. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. lifted its stake in Universal Technical Institute by 68.5% during the 3rd quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 152,499 shares of the company’s stock valued at $4,964,000 after acquiring an additional 61,971 shares during the period. Franklin Resources Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Universal Technical Institute during the 2nd quarter valued at about $721,000. Fortress Investment Group LLC bought a new stake in shares of Universal Technical Institute in the second quarter worth approximately $5,901,000. Finally, Jump Financial LLC raised its holdings in shares of Universal Technical Institute by 511.9% during the second quarter. Jump Financial LLC now owns 237,412 shares of the company’s stock valued at $8,046,000 after purchasing an additional 198,612 shares during the last quarter. 75.67% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.