Universal Technical Institute (NYSE:UTI) Shares Gap Down Following Insider Selling

Universal Technical Institute Inc (NYSE:UTI)’s stock price gapped down before the market opened on Tuesday following insider selling activity. The stock had previously closed at $42.96, but opened at $39.58. Universal Technical Institute shares last traded at $38.8280, with a volume of 697,674 shares trading hands.

Specifically, CAO Christine Kline sold 3,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, June 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $44.42, for a total value of $155,470.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer owned 43,006 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,910,326.52. The trade was a 7.53% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have recently issued reports on UTI. Weiss Ratings cut Universal Technical Institute from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research note on Friday. Griffin Securities set a $49.00 price objective on shares of Universal Technical Institute in a report on Thursday, April 30th. Barrington Research lifted their target price on shares of Universal Technical Institute from $36.00 to $42.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, May 7th. Northland Securities set a $41.00 price target on shares of Universal Technical Institute in a research note on Thursday, May 7th. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised Universal Technical Institute from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, March 7th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $44.25.

Universal Technical Institute Trading Down 11.2%

The firm has a market cap of $2.10 billion, a PE ratio of 49.21, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.82 and a beta of 1.25. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $37.96 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $32.28. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38, a quick ratio of 1.17 and a current ratio of 1.17.

Universal Technical Institute (NYSE:UTI) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, May 6th. The company reported $0.01 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. The company had revenue of $221.40 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $221.61 million. Universal Technical Institute had a net margin of 4.91% and a return on equity of 13.02%. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Universal Technical Institute Inc will post 0.76 EPS for the current year.

Institutional Trading of Universal Technical Institute

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of UTI. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. increased its holdings in Universal Technical Institute by 68.5% during the third quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 152,499 shares of the company’s stock valued at $4,964,000 after buying an additional 61,971 shares during the last quarter. Chatham Capital Group Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Universal Technical Institute by 73.3% during the 4th quarter. Chatham Capital Group Inc. now owns 68,512 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,790,000 after acquiring an additional 28,972 shares during the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its position in shares of Universal Technical Institute by 4.3% during the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 3,456,452 shares of the company’s stock valued at $112,508,000 after acquiring an additional 141,426 shares during the period. Granahan Investment Management LLC grew its position in shares of Universal Technical Institute by 107.7% during the 3rd quarter. Granahan Investment Management LLC now owns 124,246 shares of the company’s stock valued at $4,044,000 after acquiring an additional 64,421 shares during the period. Finally, Pullen Investment Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Universal Technical Institute by 129.7% in the 4th quarter. Pullen Investment Management LLC now owns 51,052 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,334,000 after purchasing an additional 28,831 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 75.67% of the company’s stock.

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.