Universal Technical Institute, Inc. (NYSE:UTI) Given Consensus Rating of “Moderate Buy” by Analysts

Shares of Universal Technical Institute, Inc. (NYSE:UTI) have received a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” from the six brokerages that are presently covering the company, Marketbeat reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold recommendation and five have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average twelve-month price target among analysts that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $15.40.

A number of equities research analysts recently weighed in on the company. TheStreet upgraded Universal Technical Institute from a “c+” rating to a “b” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 1st. Northland Securities assumed coverage on Universal Technical Institute in a report on Wednesday, January 10th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $16.00 price target on the stock. Rosenblatt Securities reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $18.00 price objective on shares of Universal Technical Institute in a report on Monday. StockNews.com lowered shares of Universal Technical Institute from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, March 27th. Finally, Barrington Research reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $18.00 price target on shares of Universal Technical Institute in a research note on Tuesday, April 23rd.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Loretta Lydia Sanchez sold 8,719 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $15.07, for a total value of $131,395.33. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 20,000 shares in the company, valued at $301,400. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Insiders own 27.60% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Universal Technical Institute

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in UTI. Brandywine Global Investment Management LLC increased its position in shares of Universal Technical Institute by 8.3% during the third quarter. Brandywine Global Investment Management LLC now owns 15,540 shares of the company’s stock worth $130,000 after purchasing an additional 1,190 shares in the last quarter. Kennedy Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Universal Technical Institute by 2.4% in the 3rd quarter. Kennedy Capital Management LLC now owns 74,516 shares of the company’s stock valued at $624,000 after buying an additional 1,751 shares during the period. New York State Common Retirement Fund lifted its stake in shares of Universal Technical Institute by 28.0% in the 4th quarter. New York State Common Retirement Fund now owns 10,493 shares of the company’s stock valued at $131,000 after purchasing an additional 2,296 shares during the period. International Assets Investment Management LLC raised its holdings in Universal Technical Institute by 1,152.0% in the 4th quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC now owns 3,130 shares of the company’s stock worth $39,000 after purchasing an additional 2,880 shares during the period. Finally, SG Americas Securities LLC increased its holdings in Universal Technical Institute by 28.8% in the 4th quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 15,929 shares of the company’s stock worth $199,000 after acquiring an additional 3,557 shares in the last quarter. 75.67% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Universal Technical Institute Trading Down 1.9 %

Shares of UTI stock opened at $15.21 on Friday. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $14.92 and a 200 day simple moving average of $12.95. The stock has a market cap of $518.36 million, a P/E ratio of 58.50, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.44 and a beta of 1.20. The company has a current ratio of 1.09, a quick ratio of 1.09 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72. Universal Technical Institute has a 1 year low of $5.63 and a 1 year high of $16.37.

Universal Technical Institute (NYSE:UTI) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 7th. The company reported $0.17 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.06 by $0.11. The business had revenue of $174.70 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $168.19 million. Universal Technical Institute had a net margin of 2.41% and a return on equity of 9.25%. On average, research analysts predict that Universal Technical Institute will post 0.7 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

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.