Cubist Systematic Strategies LLC Invests $828,000 in Universal Technical Institute, Inc. (NYSE:UTI)

Cubist Systematic Strategies LLC purchased a new position in Universal Technical Institute, Inc. (NYSE:UTI) in the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm purchased 32,195 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $828,000.

Other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Covestor Ltd lifted its stake in Universal Technical Institute by 24.4% during the fourth quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 1,977 shares of the company’s stock valued at $51,000 after purchasing an additional 388 shares during the last quarter. Independent Advisor Alliance lifted its stake in Universal Technical Institute by 4.4% during the fourth quarter. Independent Advisor Alliance now owns 12,157 shares of the company’s stock valued at $313,000 after purchasing an additional 507 shares during the last quarter. MetLife Investment Management LLC lifted its stake in Universal Technical Institute by 5.7% during the fourth quarter. MetLife Investment Management LLC now owns 23,962 shares of the company’s stock valued at $616,000 after purchasing an additional 1,294 shares during the last quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. lifted its stake in Universal Technical Institute by 9.6% during the fourth quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 26,623 shares of the company’s stock valued at $684,000 after purchasing an additional 2,335 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Arcadia Investment Management Corp MI acquired a new stake in Universal Technical Institute during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $79,000. 75.67% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Buying and Selling at Universal Technical Institute

In other Universal Technical Institute news, EVP Sherrell Smith sold 36,773 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $26.68, for a total value of $981,103.64. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 227,358 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,065,911.44. This represents a 13.92% 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 George W. Brochick sold 8,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred 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 completion of the transaction, the director now owns 34,917 shares in the company, valued at approximately $963,360.03. This represents a 18.64% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 94,524 shares of company stock worth $2,578,450. 15.10% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

UTI has been the subject of several recent research reports. Northland Securities increased their target price on shares of Universal Technical Institute from $30.00 to $34.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 6th. Rosenblatt Securities reissued a “buy” rating and set a $36.00 target price on shares of Universal Technical Institute in a research note on Thursday, May 8th. Barrington Research increased their target price on shares of Universal Technical Institute from $35.00 to $36.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, May 8th. Lake Street Capital increased their target price on shares of Universal Technical Institute from $31.00 to $35.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, May 8th. Finally, B. Riley initiated coverage on shares of Universal Technical Institute in a report on Friday, March 28th. They set a “buy” rating and a $31.00 price target on the stock. 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, the stock presently has an average rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $33.00.

Universal Technical Institute Stock Up 4.7%

UTI stock opened at $33.17 on Thursday. Universal Technical Institute, Inc. has a 52-week low of $13.66 and a 52-week high of $35.49. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $27.75 and its 200-day simple moving average is $25.98. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42, a current ratio of 1.14 and a quick ratio of 1.14. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.80 billion, a P/E ratio of 34.20, a P/E/G ratio of 1.92 and a beta of 1.57.

Universal Technical Institute (NYSE:UTI) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 7th. The company reported $0.21 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.14 by $0.07. The firm had revenue of $207.45 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $196.63 million. Universal Technical Institute had a net margin of 7.08% and a return on equity of 21.25%. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Universal Technical Institute, Inc. will post 1 EPS for the current year.

Universal Technical Institute 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.