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

Universal Technical Institute Inc (NYSE:UTI)’s share price reached a new 52-week high during trading on Thursday . The company traded as high as $41.53 and last traded at $40.86, with a volume of 270135 shares. The stock had previously closed at $39.75.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts have recently commented on the company. Zacks Research upgraded Universal Technical Institute from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, February 6th. Wall Street Zen upgraded Universal Technical Institute from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, March 7th. Rosenblatt Securities lifted their price objective on Universal Technical Institute from $36.00 to $45.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, May 7th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Universal Technical Institute in a research note on Wednesday, May 6th. Finally, Griffin Securities set a $49.00 target price on Universal Technical Institute in a research report on Thursday, April 30th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Universal Technical Institute presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $42.50.

Universal Technical Institute Trading Up 2.7%

The company has a quick ratio of 1.14, a current ratio of 1.17 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38. The business has a 50-day moving average of $36.57 and a two-hundred day moving average of $31.00. The firm has a market capitalization of $2.25 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 53.01, a P/E/G ratio of 3.30 and a beta of 1.28.

Universal Technical Institute (NYSE:UTI) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 6th. The company reported $0.01 earnings per share for the quarter. The company had revenue of $221.40 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $221.61 million. Universal Technical Institute had a return on equity of 13.02% and a net margin of 4.91%. Research analysts predict that Universal Technical Institute Inc will post 0.76 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at Universal Technical Institute

In other news, EVP Sherrell Smith sold 22,671 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, March 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $37.10, for a total value of $841,094.10. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 37,474 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,390,285.40. The trade was a 37.69% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director Shannon Lei Okinaka sold 10,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Friday, March 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $34.74, for a total transaction of $347,400.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 19,808 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $688,129.92. This trade represents a 33.55% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 160,961 shares of company stock worth $5,796,977. 9.80% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Universal Technical Institute

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Baillie Gifford & Co. acquired a new stake in Universal Technical Institute in the third quarter valued at approximately $18,901,000. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Universal Technical Institute by 68.5% during the third quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 152,499 shares of the company’s stock worth $4,964,000 after purchasing an additional 61,971 shares during the period. Chatham Capital Group Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Universal Technical Institute by 73.3% during the fourth quarter. Chatham Capital Group Inc. now owns 68,512 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,790,000 after purchasing an additional 28,972 shares during the period. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Universal Technical Institute by 4.3% during the third quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 3,456,452 shares of the company’s stock worth $112,508,000 after purchasing an additional 141,426 shares during the period. Finally, Thrivent Financial for Lutherans acquired a new position in shares of Universal Technical Institute during the third quarter worth $27,924,000. 75.67% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.