Universal Technical Institute (NYSE:UTI) Stock Price Down 10.4%

Shares of Universal Technical Institute, Inc. (NYSE:UTI) fell 10.4% on Thursday . The stock traded as low as $14.55 and last traded at $14.95. 217,612 shares traded hands during trading, a decline of 64% from the average session volume of 607,267 shares. The stock had previously closed at $16.69.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have recently weighed in on UTI. Barrington Research boosted their target price on shares of Universal Technical Institute from $18.00 to $20.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday. TheStreet upgraded Universal Technical Institute from a “c+” rating to a “b” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 1st. StockNews.com downgraded Universal Technical Institute from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, March 27th. Northland Securities started coverage on Universal Technical Institute in a research note on Wednesday, January 10th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $16.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, Rosenblatt Securities reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $18.00 target price on shares of Universal Technical Institute in a research note on Monday, April 29th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Universal Technical Institute currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $15.80.

Universal Technical Institute Price Performance

The company has a market capitalization of $512.56 million, a P/E ratio of 55.65, a PEG ratio of 1.48 and a beta of 1.22. The company has a quick ratio of 1.09, a current ratio of 1.09 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $15.06 and a 200-day simple moving average of $13.29.

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

Insider Transactions at Universal Technical Institute

In other Universal Technical Institute news, Director Loretta Lydia Sanchez sold 8,719 shares of Universal Technical Institute stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $15.07, for a total transaction of $131,395.33. Following the sale, the director now owns 20,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $301,400. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Insiders own 27.60% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Universal Technical Institute

A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. International Assets Investment Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Universal Technical Institute by 1,152.0% during the 4th quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC now owns 3,130 shares of the company’s stock valued at $39,000 after purchasing an additional 2,880 shares in the last quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC grew its position in Universal Technical Institute by 297.3% in the fourth quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 6,186 shares of the company’s stock worth $77,000 after buying an additional 4,629 shares during the last quarter. AJOVista LLC bought a new position in shares of Universal Technical Institute in the fourth quarter valued at $78,000. Bfsg LLC bought a new position in shares of Universal Technical Institute in the fourth quarter valued at $102,000. Finally, New York State Common Retirement Fund lifted its position in shares of Universal Technical Institute by 28.0% during the 4th quarter. New York State Common Retirement Fund now owns 10,493 shares of the company’s stock valued at $131,000 after acquiring an additional 2,296 shares during the last quarter. 75.67% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.