Universal Technical Institute, Inc. (NYSE:UTI) Shares Acquired by Manatuck Hill Partners LLC

Manatuck Hill Partners LLC grew its stake in Universal Technical Institute, Inc. (NYSE:UTI) by 2.9% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 180,000 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 5,000 shares during the quarter. Universal Technical Institute makes up approximately 1.9% of Manatuck Hill Partners LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 15th biggest holding. Manatuck Hill Partners LLC’s holdings in Universal Technical Institute were worth $4,628,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. raised its stake in shares of Universal Technical Institute by 362.4% in the 4th quarter. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. now owns 376,929 shares of the company’s stock valued at $9,691,000 after purchasing an additional 295,408 shares in the last quarter. Rhumbline Advisers raised its stake in Universal Technical Institute by 37.4% during the fourth quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 71,407 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,836,000 after acquiring an additional 19,453 shares during the period. Pier Capital LLC raised its stake in Universal Technical Institute by 2.4% during the fourth quarter. Pier Capital LLC now owns 566,663 shares of the company’s stock worth $14,569,000 after acquiring an additional 13,281 shares during the period. Principal Financial Group Inc. acquired a new stake in Universal Technical Institute during the third quarter worth about $395,000. Finally, Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership raised its stake in Universal Technical Institute by 50.0% during the fourth quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 617,430 shares of the company’s stock worth $15,874,000 after acquiring an additional 205,716 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 75.67% of the company’s stock.

Universal Technical Institute Price Performance

NYSE UTI opened at $28.58 on Friday. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $27.00 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $25.03. 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 stock has a market cap of $1.55 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 29.46, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.92 and a beta of 1.48. Universal Technical Institute, Inc. has a 52 week low of $13.66 and a 52 week high of $30.56.

Universal Technical Institute (NYSE:UTI) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 5th. The company reported $0.40 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating 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%. Analysts forecast that Universal Technical Institute, Inc. will post 1 EPS for the current year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms recently weighed in on UTI. Barrington Research reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $35.00 price objective on shares of Universal Technical Institute in a research note on Thursday, April 17th. Rosenblatt Securities increased their price objective on shares of Universal Technical Institute from $30.00 to $36.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 6th. Northland Securities increased their price objective 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. Lake Street Capital upped their target price on shares of Universal Technical Institute from $22.00 to $31.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 6th. Finally, B. Riley started coverage on shares of Universal Technical Institute in a research report on Friday, March 28th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $31.00 target price for the company. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Universal Technical Institute has an average rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $32.17.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director George W. Brochick sold 8,000 shares of the 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 directly owns 34,917 shares in the company, valued at $963,360.03. This trade represents a 18.64 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP Sherrell Smith sold 36,773 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $26.68, for a total transaction of $981,103.64. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 227,358 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,065,911.44. The trade was a 13.92 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 94,524 shares of company stock worth $2,578,450 over the last three months. Corporate insiders own 15.10% 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.