Universal Technical Institute Inc (NYSE:UTI) Stock Now Rated "Moderate Buy" by Wall Street Analysts

Key Points

• Analysts give Universal Technical Institute a “Moderate Buy” consensus: Four of seven covering firms rate the stock a buy and three rate it a hold, with an average 1-year price target of $42.33.
• UTI shares opened at $20.02, near the bottom of their 12-month range of $18.02–$51.34; the 200-day moving average was $32.07.
• In its latest reported quarter, the company posted EPS of $0.04, beating the $0.02 estimate, while revenue of $218.91 million came in below the $220.40 million consensus.

Universal Technical Institute Inc (NYSE:UTI - Get Free Report) has been assigned a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" from the seven research firms that are presently covering the company, Marketbeat.com reports. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and four have assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average 1-year target price among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $42.33.

A number of equities analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Texas Capital downgraded Universal Technical Institute from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Monday, September 21st. Rosenblatt Securities reiterated a "buy" rating and set a $45.00 price objective on shares of Universal Technical Institute in a research note on Thursday, August 6th. Northland Securities set a $35.00 price objective on shares of Universal Technical Institute in a research note on Thursday, September 10th. B. Riley Financial cut their price target on Universal Technical Institute from $48.00 to $45.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, October 28th. Finally, Truist Financial decreased their target price on shares of Universal Technical Institute from $47.00 to $38.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, August 6th.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Universal Technical Institute

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Aberdeen Group plc boosted its position in shares of Universal Technical Institute by 254.8% in the 3rd quarter. Aberdeen Group plc now owns 926,941 shares of the company's stock worth $17,306,000 after purchasing an additional 665,678 shares during the last quarter. Maryland State Retirement & Pension System lifted its stake in shares of Universal Technical Institute by 64.6% in the 3rd quarter. Maryland State Retirement & Pension System now owns 12,227 shares of the company's stock valued at $228,000 after purchasing an additional 4,798 shares during the last quarter. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund increased its holdings in Universal Technical Institute by 2.8% in the 3rd quarter. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund now owns 25,872 shares of the company's stock worth $483,000 after buying an additional 708 shares during the period. Villere ST Denis J & Co. LLC purchased a new stake in Universal Technical Institute in the 3rd quarter valued at about $560,000. Finally, Parallel Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Universal Technical Institute by 36.1% in the third quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 9,393 shares of the company's stock valued at $175,000 after acquiring an additional 2,492 shares in the last quarter. 75.67% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Universal Technical Institute Stock Performance

Shares of Universal Technical Institute stock opened at $20.02 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $1.10 billion, a PE ratio of 32.28, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.99 and a beta of 1.18. Universal Technical Institute has a 12 month low of $18.02 and a 12 month high of $51.34. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $20.78 and a 200-day simple moving average of $32.07. The company has a quick ratio of 1.30, a current ratio of 1.30 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.46.

Universal Technical Institute (NYSE:UTI - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 5th. The company reported $0.04 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.02 by $0.02. The business had revenue of $218.91 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $220.40 million. Universal Technical Institute had a return on equity of 10.18% and a net margin of 3.88%. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Universal Technical Institute will post 0.61 EPS for the current fiscal year.

About Universal Technical Institute

Universal Technical Institute, Inc NYSE: UTI is a provider of postsecondary technical education in the United States. Founded in 1965, the company prepares students for careers in transportation, skilled trades, energy, and other technical fields through hands-on instruction and industry-focused training.

Its programs cover automotive, diesel, collision repair, motorcycle, marine, welding, CNC machining, robotics and automation, wind energy, and industrial technology. The company operates under several specialized brands, including Universal Technical Institute, Motorcycle Mechanics Institute, Marine Mechanics Institute, NASCAR Technical Institute, and MIAT College of Technology.

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