Universal Technical Institute (NYSE:UTI) Stock Price Expected to Rise, B. Riley Analyst Says

Universal Technical Institute (NYSE:UTI) had its price objective lifted by research analysts at B. Riley from $22.00 to $25.00 in a research note issued to investors on Thursday,Benzinga reports. The firm presently has a “buy” rating on the stock. B. Riley’s price target would suggest a potential upside of 23.15% from the company’s previous close.

UTI has been the topic of several other research reports. Rosenblatt Securities reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $22.00 price target on shares of Universal Technical Institute in a research report on Wednesday, September 11th. Barrington Research reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $22.00 target price on shares of Universal Technical Institute in a research report on Wednesday, August 7th. Northland Securities upped their price target on Universal Technical Institute from $18.00 to $20.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 7th. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Universal Technical Institute from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 7th. Finally, Truist Financial initiated coverage on shares of Universal Technical Institute in a report on Thursday, July 25th. They set a “buy” rating and a $22.00 target price on the stock. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Universal Technical Institute has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $22.20.

Universal Technical Institute Price Performance

UTI stock opened at $20.30 on Thursday. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $16.52 and its two-hundred day moving average is $16.29. Universal Technical Institute has a 52-week low of $9.18 and a 52-week high of $20.32. The company has a market capitalization of $1.09 billion, a PE ratio of 40.60, a P/E/G ratio of 1.39 and a beta of 1.34. The company has a quick ratio of 1.02, a current ratio of 1.02 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.56.

Universal Technical Institute (NYSE:UTI) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, August 6th. The company reported $0.09 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.07 by $0.02. The firm had revenue of $177.46 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $172.33 million. Universal Technical Institute had a net margin of 3.82% and a return on equity of 12.66%. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted ($0.05) earnings per share. Analysts predict that Universal Technical Institute will post 0.71 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, CEO Jerome Alan Grant sold 68,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Friday, August 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $17.53, for a total transaction of $1,192,040.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 136,443 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,391,845.79. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 27.60% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Russell Investments Group Ltd. raised its holdings in shares of Universal Technical Institute by 341.1% during the first quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 334,332 shares of the company’s stock valued at $5,329,000 after buying an additional 258,532 shares during the last quarter. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. acquired a new position in Universal Technical Institute during the 2nd quarter worth $675,000. First Eagle Investment Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Universal Technical Institute by 37.2% in the second quarter. First Eagle Investment Management LLC now owns 518,888 shares of the company’s stock worth $8,162,000 after purchasing an additional 140,600 shares in the last quarter. Great Lakes Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Universal Technical Institute during the second quarter valued at $3,103,000. Finally, Pier Capital LLC raised its stake in shares of Universal Technical Institute by 15.7% during the second quarter. Pier Capital LLC now owns 351,809 shares of the company’s stock valued at $5,534,000 after purchasing an additional 47,819 shares in 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.