Universal Technical Institute (NYSE:UTI) Hits New 1-Year High – Here’s What Happened

Shares of Universal Technical Institute Inc (NYSE:UTI) hit a new 52-week high on Friday . The stock traded as high as $36.64 and last traded at $36.3210, with a volume of 711667 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $34.40.

Analyst Ratings Changes

UTI has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Zacks Research raised Universal Technical Institute from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, February 6th. Barrington Research reissued an “outperform” rating and set a $36.00 price target on shares of Universal Technical Institute in a research report on Thursday, February 5th. Rosenblatt Securities reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $36.00 price target on shares of Universal Technical Institute in a report on Thursday, February 5th. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of Universal Technical Institute from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research note on Friday, February 6th. Finally, Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Universal Technical Institute from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Saturday, February 7th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have assigned a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $36.20.

Universal Technical Institute Price Performance

The company has a market cap of $1.99 billion, a PE ratio of 37.30, a PEG ratio of 3.02 and a beta of 1.36. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $28.25 and its 200-day moving average is $28.19. The company has a quick ratio of 1.14, a current ratio of 1.14 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29.

Universal Technical Institute (NYSE:UTI) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 4th. The company reported $0.23 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.15 by $0.08. Universal Technical Institute had a return on equity of 16.98% and a net margin of 6.28%.The business had revenue of $220.84 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $216.65 million. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Universal Technical Institute Inc will post 1 EPS for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, SVP Carolyn Ann Frank sold 1,750 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $30.08, for a total value of $52,640.00. Following the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 30,272 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $910,581.76. This represents a 5.46% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director Coliseum Capital Management, L acquired 467,020 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, December 2nd. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $24.40 per share, for a total transaction of $11,395,288.00. Following the purchase, the director directly owned 3,424,374 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $83,554,725.60. This represents a 15.79% increase in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. In the last quarter, insiders acquired 1,255,173 shares of company stock valued at $30,812,798. 9.80% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Verdence Capital Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of Universal Technical Institute by 3.4% during the third quarter. Verdence Capital Advisors LLC now owns 11,259 shares of the company’s stock valued at $383,000 after acquiring an additional 367 shares in the last quarter. Leuthold Group LLC lifted its stake in shares of Universal Technical Institute by 0.3% in the fourth quarter. Leuthold Group LLC now owns 141,748 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,704,000 after buying an additional 439 shares in the last quarter. Verition Fund Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Universal Technical Institute by 2.1% during the third quarter. Verition Fund Management LLC now owns 21,034 shares of the company’s stock valued at $685,000 after buying an additional 441 shares during the last quarter. Engineers Gate Manager LP raised its holdings in Universal Technical Institute by 4.3% in the 2nd quarter. Engineers Gate Manager LP now owns 12,299 shares of the company’s stock worth $417,000 after acquiring an additional 506 shares during the last quarter. Finally, SkyView Investment Advisors LLC lifted its position in Universal Technical Institute by 1.2% in the 2nd quarter. SkyView Investment Advisors LLC now owns 42,404 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,460,000 after acquiring an additional 506 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors 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.