Universal Technical Institute (NYSE:UTI) Hits New 12-Month High – Here’s What Happened

Shares of Universal Technical Institute Inc (NYSE:UTI) hit a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Monday . The stock traded as high as $38.17 and last traded at $38.0910, with a volume of 648674 shares. The stock had previously closed at $35.34.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms recently commented on UTI. Zacks Research upgraded Universal Technical Institute from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, February 6th. Barrington Research restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $36.00 target price on shares of Universal Technical Institute in a research note on Thursday, February 5th. Wall Street Zen upgraded Universal Technical Institute from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, March 7th. Rosenblatt Securities reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $36.00 price objective on shares of Universal Technical Institute in a report on Thursday, February 5th. Finally, Weiss Ratings cut Universal Technical Institute from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research note on Friday, February 6th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have assigned a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $36.20.

Universal Technical Institute Trading Up 1.4%

The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $31.59 and a 200-day simple moving average of $29.44. The company has a quick ratio of 1.14, a current ratio of 1.14 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29. The stock has a market cap of $2.18 billion, a PE ratio of 40.90, a P/E/G ratio of 3.29 and a beta of 1.31.

Universal Technical Institute (NYSE:UTI) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 4th. The company reported $0.23 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.15 by $0.08. Universal Technical Institute had a return on equity of 16.98% and a net margin of 6.28%.The company had revenue of $220.84 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $216.65 million. Equities analysts forecast that Universal Technical Institute Inc will post 1 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Universal Technical Institute

In other news, EVP Sherrell Smith sold 30,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $36.99, for a total value of $1,109,700.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 129,375 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,785,581.25. This trade represents a 18.82% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director George W. Brochick sold 5,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $36.59, for a total transaction of $182,950.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 27,516 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,006,810.44. This trade represents a 15.38% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 145,961 shares of company stock worth $5,248,127. 9.80% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Montanaro Asset Management Ltd purchased a new position in shares of Universal Technical Institute during the 4th quarter valued at $1,158,000. XTX Topco Ltd bought a new position in shares of Universal Technical Institute in the fourth quarter worth $904,000. Uniplan Investment Counsel Inc. raised its position in shares of Universal Technical Institute by 2.2% in the fourth quarter. Uniplan Investment Counsel Inc. now owns 204,594 shares of the company’s stock worth $4,968,000 after buying an additional 4,452 shares in the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP raised its position in shares of Universal Technical Institute by 12.3% in the fourth quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 807,756 shares of the company’s stock worth $21,107,000 after buying an additional 88,252 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Manatuck Hill Partners LLC boosted its stake in Universal Technical Institute by 342.8% during the fourth quarter. Manatuck Hill Partners LLC now owns 264,800 shares of the company’s stock valued at $6,919,000 after buying an additional 205,000 shares during the period. 75.67% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Universal Technical Institute Company Profile

Universal Technical Institute, Inc (NYSE: UTI) is a leading provider of post-secondary education for students pursuing careers as professional automotive, diesel, collision repair, motorcycle and marine technicians, as well as in welding and CNC machining. The company designs and delivers hands-on training through a blend of classroom instruction and experiential lab work, preparing graduates for entry-level positions in the transportation, manufacturing and energy sectors. UTI’s curriculum emphasizes industry-recognized credentials and proprietary coursework developed in collaboration with original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to ensure alignment with evolving employer needs.

Through a network of campus locations across the United States and select centers in Canada, Universal Technical Institute offers diploma and certificate programs ranging from 36 to 74 weeks in length.