Universal Technical Institute (NYSE:UTI) Trading 6.3% Higher – Here’s What Happened

Shares of Universal Technical Institute Inc (NYSE:UTI) traded up 6.3% during mid-day trading on Thursday . The stock traded as high as $28.23 and last traded at $28.2650. 63,964 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 88% from the average session volume of 550,466 shares. The stock had previously closed at $26.59.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

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

Universal Technical Institute Stock Up 5.0%

The stock has a fifty day moving average of $26.33 and a 200-day moving average of $28.71. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.52 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.53, a PEG ratio of 2.32 and a beta of 1.37. The company has a current ratio of 1.07, a quick ratio of 1.07 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.26.

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

Insider Buying and Selling at Universal Technical Institute

In other news, Director Coliseum Capital Management, L purchased 467,020 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, December 2nd. The shares were acquired at an average price of $24.40 per share, for a total transaction of $11,395,288.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director directly owned 3,424,374 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $83,554,725.60. The trade was a 15.79% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Insiders have purchased 1,255,173 shares of company stock valued at $30,812,798 over the last quarter. Company insiders own 15.10% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Royal Bank of Canada lifted its position in Universal Technical Institute by 47.6% in the 1st quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 44,564 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,144,000 after buying an additional 14,364 shares in the last quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Universal Technical Institute during the first quarter worth $1,226,000. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. boosted its position in Universal Technical Institute by 23.2% during the first quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 27,688 shares of the company’s stock valued at $711,000 after purchasing an additional 5,216 shares during the last quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Universal Technical Institute in the first quarter valued at about $57,000. Finally, UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC grew its stake in Universal Technical Institute by 13.4% in the first quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 84,223 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,163,000 after purchasing an additional 9,951 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 75.67% of the company’s stock.

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.