Universal Technical Institute, Inc. (NYSE:UTI) Given Average Recommendation of “Buy” by Analysts

Universal Technical Institute, Inc. (NYSE:UTI) has earned a consensus rating of “Buy” from the six research firms that are currently covering the company, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Six analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating. The average 1 year price objective among analysts that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $31.17.

Several brokerages have weighed in on UTI. Rosenblatt Securities upped their target price on shares of Universal Technical Institute from $30.00 to $36.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 6th. Northland Securities increased their price target on shares of Universal Technical Institute from $30.00 to $34.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 6th. Barrington Research increased their price target on shares of Universal Technical Institute from $30.00 to $35.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 6th. Finally, Lake Street Capital increased their price target on shares of Universal Technical Institute from $22.00 to $31.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 6th.

Universal Technical Institute Trading Down 4.6 %

Shares of UTI opened at $26.52 on Monday. The company has a current ratio of 1.14, a quick ratio of 1.14 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $27.23 and its two-hundred day moving average is $22.77. Universal Technical Institute has a twelve month low of $13.66 and a twelve month high of $30.56. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.44 billion, a P/E ratio of 27.34, a PEG ratio of 1.92 and a beta of 1.49.

Universal Technical Institute (NYSE:UTI) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The company reported $0.40 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.18 by $0.22. Universal Technical Institute had a net margin of 7.08% and a return on equity of 21.25%. On average, research analysts predict that Universal Technical Institute will post 1 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, EVP Sherrell Smith sold 39,446 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $27.85, for a total transaction of $1,098,571.10. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 177,912 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,954,849.20. The trade was a 18.15 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, Director George W. Brochick sold 8,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $27.59, for a total transaction of $220,720.00. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 34,917 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $963,360.03. This represents a 18.64 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 84,219 shares of company stock worth $2,300,395. 15.10% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of Universal Technical Institute

Several institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in UTI. Covestor Ltd grew its stake in shares of Universal Technical Institute by 24.4% during the 4th quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 1,977 shares of the company’s stock valued at $51,000 after buying an additional 388 shares during the period. Quarry LP grew its stake in shares of Universal Technical Institute by 380.6% during the 3rd quarter. Quarry LP now owns 3,859 shares of the company’s stock valued at $63,000 after buying an additional 3,056 shares during the period. Arcadia Investment Management Corp MI purchased a new stake in shares of Universal Technical Institute during the 4th quarter valued at $79,000. Lazard Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Universal Technical Institute during the 4th quarter valued at $101,000. Finally, Aquatic Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Universal Technical Institute during the 4th quarter valued at $118,000. 75.67% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.