Universal Technical Institute, Inc. (NYSE:UTI) Receives Average Recommendation of “Buy” from Analysts

Universal Technical Institute, Inc. (NYSE:UTI) has been given an average recommendation of “Buy” by the five ratings firms that are presently covering the company, MarketBeat.com reports. Five analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating. The average twelve-month price objective among analysts that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $21.60.

A number of brokerages have commented on UTI. StockNews.com raised Universal Technical Institute from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, August 7th. Rosenblatt Securities restated a “buy” rating and issued a $22.00 price objective on shares of Universal Technical Institute in a report on Wednesday, September 11th. Northland Securities upped their target price on shares of Universal Technical Institute from $18.00 to $20.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, August 7th. Barrington Research reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $22.00 target price on shares of Universal Technical Institute in a research report on Wednesday, August 7th. Finally, Truist Financial started coverage on shares of Universal Technical Institute in a research report on Thursday, July 25th. They set a “buy” rating and a $22.00 price target on the stock.

Universal Technical Institute Price Performance

Universal Technical Institute stock opened at $16.16 on Monday. The stock has a market capitalization of $869.57 million, a P/E ratio of 44.89, a P/E/G ratio of 1.55 and a beta of 1.35. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $17.24 and its 200 day moving average price is $15.95. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.56, a quick ratio of 1.02 and a current ratio of 1.02. Universal Technical Institute has a 1 year low of $7.78 and a 1 year high of $19.79.

Universal Technical Institute (NYSE:UTI) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, August 6th. The company reported $0.09 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.07 by $0.02. The business had revenue of $177.46 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $172.33 million. Universal Technical Institute had a net margin of 3.82% and a return on equity of 12.66%. During the same quarter last year, the business earned ($0.05) earnings per share. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Universal Technical Institute will post 0.71 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Universal Technical Institute news, CEO Jerome Alan Grant sold 68,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $17.53, for a total value of $1,192,040.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 136,443 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,391,845.79. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. 27.60% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Universal Technical Institute

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. BNP Paribas Financial Markets increased its position in shares of Universal Technical Institute by 18.6% during the 4th quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 33,720 shares of the company’s stock worth $422,000 after purchasing an additional 5,295 shares during the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP raised its stake in shares of Universal Technical Institute by 3.6% in the 4th quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 1,840,356 shares of the company’s stock valued at $23,041,000 after acquiring an additional 63,445 shares during the period. Trexquant Investment LP lifted its holdings in shares of Universal Technical Institute by 241.9% in the 4th quarter. Trexquant Investment LP now owns 55,116 shares of the company’s stock worth $690,000 after acquiring an additional 38,994 shares during the last quarter. Premier Fund Managers Ltd boosted its position in shares of Universal Technical Institute by 75.4% during the 4th quarter. Premier Fund Managers Ltd now owns 49,454 shares of the company’s stock worth $623,000 after purchasing an additional 21,257 shares during the period. Finally, Cannell Capital LLC acquired a new stake in Universal Technical Institute in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $452,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 75.67% of the company’s stock.

About Universal Technical Institute

Universal Technical Institute, Inc provides transportation, skilled trades, and healthcare education programs in the United States. The company operates in two segments, UTI and Concorde. It offers certificate, diploma, or degree programs under various brands, such as Universal Technical Institute, Motorcycle Mechanics Institute, Marine Mechanics Institute, NASCAR Technical Institute, and MIAT College of Technology.