Universal Technical Institute (NYSE:UTI) Shares Up 11.4% – Still a Buy?

Universal Technical Institute Inc (NYSE:UTI) shot up 11.4% during mid-day trading on Monday . The company traded as high as $27.84 and last traded at $27.68. 348,736 shares traded hands during trading, a decline of 37% from the average session volume of 556,612 shares. The stock had previously closed at $24.84.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts have weighed in on the stock. Rosenblatt Securities reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $36.00 price objective on shares of Universal Technical Institute in a research report on Thursday, November 20th. Wall Street Zen cut Universal Technical Institute from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Sunday, September 21st. Zacks Research downgraded Universal Technical Institute from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research report on Monday, October 6th. Barrington Research reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $36.00 price objective on shares of Universal Technical Institute in a report on Thursday, November 20th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Universal Technical Institute in a research note on Monday, December 29th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have issued a Buy rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $35.83.

Universal Technical Institute Trading Up 10.5%

The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $26.92 and a 200 day simple moving average of $29.04. The company has a market capitalization of $1.49 billion, a PE ratio of 24.08, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.17 and a beta of 1.37. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.26, a quick ratio of 1.07 and a current ratio of 1.07.

Universal Technical Institute (NYSE:UTI) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, November 19th. The company reported $0.34 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.26 by $0.08. Universal Technical Institute had a return on equity of 20.85% and a net margin of 7.54%.The business had revenue of $222.44 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $219.33 million. Universal Technical Institute has set its FY 2026 guidance at 0.710-0.800 EPS. Analysts anticipate that Universal Technical Institute Inc will post 1 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Activity at Universal Technical Institute

In related news, Director Coliseum Capital Management, L acquired 191,830 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, December 5th. The shares were bought at an average price of $25.38 per share, with a total value of $4,868,645.40. Following the completion of the purchase, the director owned 3,971,440 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $100,795,147.20. This represents a 5.08% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Insiders purchased a total of 1,255,173 shares of company stock valued at $30,812,798 over the last ninety days. 15.10% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Universal Technical Institute

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Universal Technical Institute in the 2nd quarter valued at $27,000. Penserra Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in Universal Technical Institute in the 2nd quarter valued at about $28,000. KBC Group NV acquired a new position in Universal Technical Institute in the second quarter valued at about $34,000. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. boosted its stake in Universal Technical Institute by 17,142.9% during the second quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 1,207 shares of the company’s stock worth $41,000 after buying an additional 1,200 shares during the period. Finally, NewEdge Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Universal Technical Institute during the first quarter worth about $57,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 75.67% of the company’s stock.

About Universal Technical Institute

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.