Universal Technical Institute (NYSE:UTI) Shares Down 8.4% – Here’s Why

Universal Technical Institute Inc (NYSE:UTI)’s stock price traded down 8.4% during trading on Thursday . The company traded as low as $22.23 and last traded at $22.25. Approximately 1,904,835 shares were traded during mid-day trading, an increase of 90% from the average session volume of 1,003,578 shares. The stock had previously closed at $24.30.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms have recently weighed in on UTI. Griffin Securities set a $49.00 price objective on shares of Universal Technical Institute in a research report on Thursday, April 30th. B. Riley Financial cut their target price on shares of Universal Technical Institute from $49.00 to $48.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, August 6th. Weiss Ratings downgraded Universal Technical Institute from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 11th. Northland Securities set a $41.00 price target on Universal Technical Institute in a research note on Thursday, May 7th. Finally, Rosenblatt Securities reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $45.00 price objective on shares of Universal Technical Institute in a report on Thursday, August 6th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $43.83.

Universal Technical Institute Price Performance

The firm has a market capitalization of $1.23 billion, a P/E ratio of 35.89, a PEG ratio of 2.75 and a beta of 1.25. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $38.78 and its 200 day simple moving average is $36.90. 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 announced its quarterly earnings data 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 net margin of 3.88% and a return on equity of 10.18%. The firm had revenue of $218.91 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $220.40 million. Sell-side analysts forecast that Universal Technical Institute Inc will post 0.61 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Universal Technical Institute

In other Universal Technical Institute news, insider Kevin Prehn sold 4,545 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction 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 completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 27,025 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,081,000. The trade was a 14.40% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Director Coliseum Capital Management, L sold 3,000,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $41.40, for a total transaction of $124,200,000.00. Following the sale, the director owned 971,440 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $40,217,616. The trade was a 75.54% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold 3,102,545 shares of company stock worth $128,449,570 in the last 90 days. 9.80% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Universal Technical Institute

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans grew its position in Universal Technical Institute by 132.9% during the 4th quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans now owns 1,998,354 shares of the company’s stock worth $52,217,000 after acquiring an additional 1,140,465 shares during the last quarter. UBS Group AG lifted its position in Universal Technical Institute by 89.0% in the fourth quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 231,717 shares of the company’s stock valued at $6,055,000 after purchasing an additional 109,100 shares during the last quarter. MYDA Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Universal Technical Institute in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $1,322,000. Needham Investment Management LLC lifted its position in Universal Technical Institute by 46.8% in the fourth quarter. Needham Investment Management LLC now owns 807,500 shares of the company’s stock valued at $21,100,000 after purchasing an additional 257,500 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Manatuck Hill Partners LLC boosted its stake in shares of Universal Technical Institute by 342.8% during the fourth quarter. Manatuck Hill Partners LLC now owns 264,800 shares of the company’s stock valued at $6,919,000 after purchasing an additional 205,000 shares during the period. 75.67% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.