Universal Technical Institute (NYSE:UTI) Upgraded by B. Riley to “Strong-Buy” Rating

B. Riley upgraded shares of Universal Technical Institute (NYSE:UTI) to a strong-buy rating in a report issued on Thursday,Zacks.com reports.

Other equities analysts have also recently issued reports about the stock. Barrington Research upped their price objective on shares of Universal Technical Institute from $30.00 to $35.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 6th. Lake Street Capital boosted their price objective on Universal Technical Institute from $22.00 to $31.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 6th. Rosenblatt Securities increased their price objective on Universal Technical Institute from $30.00 to $36.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 6th. Finally, Northland Securities raised their target price on shares of Universal Technical Institute from $30.00 to $34.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 6th. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $32.17.

Universal Technical Institute Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:UTI traded down $1.15 during midday trading on Thursday, reaching $25.36. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 1,216,314 shares, compared to its average volume of 538,395. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.38 billion, a PE ratio of 26.14, a P/E/G ratio of 1.92 and a beta of 1.49. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $27.30 and a 200 day moving average of $23.12. Universal Technical Institute has a twelve month low of $13.66 and a twelve month high of $30.56. The company has a quick ratio of 1.14, a current ratio of 1.14 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42.

Universal Technical Institute (NYSE:UTI) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 5th. The company reported $0.40 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates 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, equities analysts expect that Universal Technical Institute will post 1 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director George W. Brochick sold 8,000 shares of Universal Technical Institute stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $27.59, for a total value of $220,720.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 34,917 shares in the company, valued at approximately $963,360.03. The trade was a 18.64 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Sherrell Smith sold 39,446 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $27.85, for a total transaction of $1,098,571.10. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 177,912 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,954,849.20. This trade represents a 18.15 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 94,219 shares of company stock valued at $2,569,895. 15.10% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Universal Technical Institute

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Dumac Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Universal Technical Institute in the 4th quarter valued at about $43,236,000. Lord Abbett & CO. LLC lifted its stake in Universal Technical Institute by 194.0% in the fourth quarter. Lord Abbett & CO. LLC now owns 1,847,423 shares of the company’s stock valued at $47,497,000 after buying an additional 1,219,052 shares during the last quarter. FMR LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Universal Technical Institute by 73,048.1% in the third quarter. FMR LLC now owns 879,240 shares of the company’s stock valued at $14,296,000 after acquiring an additional 878,038 shares during the period. Victory Capital Management Inc. grew its position in shares of Universal Technical Institute by 1,377.1% during the fourth quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 518,256 shares of the company’s stock worth $13,324,000 after acquiring an additional 483,170 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Point72 Asset Management L.P. acquired a new position in shares of Universal Technical Institute in the 4th quarter valued at $7,638,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 75.67% of the company’s stock.

Universal Technical Institute Company Profile

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.