Isthmus Partners LLC Takes Position in Universal Technical Institute Inc $UTI

Key Points

• Isthmus Partners LLC opened a new position in Universal Technical Institute, buying 88,751 shares valued at about $2.3 million in the fourth quarter. The stake represented roughly 0.16% of the company.
• Several other institutional investors also increased or initiated positions, and institutional ownership stands at 75.67% of the stock. Meanwhile, insiders have been selling shares, including director Linda J. Srere and COO Todd A. Hitchcock.
• UTI recently reported quarterly EPS of $0.01 on revenue of $221.4 million, close to expectations, and analysts currently hold a Moderate Buy consensus with a target price of $42.50.

Isthmus Partners LLC acquired a new position in shares of Universal Technical Institute Inc (NYSE:UTI - Free Report) during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund acquired 88,751 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,319,000. Isthmus Partners LLC owned about 0.16% of Universal Technical Institute as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Royal Bank of Canada raised its position in Universal Technical Institute by 47.6% during the 1st quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 44,564 shares of the company's stock worth $1,144,000 after purchasing an additional 14,364 shares during the last quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Universal Technical Institute in the 1st quarter valued at about $1,226,000. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. increased its stake in shares of Universal Technical Institute by 23.2% in the first quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 27,688 shares of the company's stock valued at $711,000 after buying an additional 5,216 shares during the period. NewEdge Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Universal Technical Institute in the first quarter valued at about $57,000. Finally, UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC raised its position in shares of Universal Technical Institute by 13.4% during the first quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 84,223 shares of the company's stock worth $2,163,000 after acquiring an additional 9,951 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 75.67% of the company's stock.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director Linda J. Srere sold 15,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, May 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $36.59, for a total transaction of $548,850.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 127,564 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,667,566.76. This represents a 10.52% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, COO Todd A. Hitchcock sold 16,500 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $37.33, for a total transaction of $615,945.00. Following the transaction, the chief operating officer directly owned 104,084 shares of the company's stock, valued at $3,885,455.72. This represents a 13.68% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 159,211 shares of company stock valued at $5,744,337. 9.80% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Universal Technical Institute Trading Down 4.5%

UTI opened at $39.62 on Friday. Universal Technical Institute Inc has a fifty-two week low of $21.29 and a fifty-two week high of $41.53. The firm has a market capitalization of $2.18 billion, a PE ratio of 51.46, a P/E/G ratio of 3.64 and a beta of 1.28. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38, a current ratio of 1.17 and a quick ratio of 1.14. The company's 50-day moving average is $36.72 and its 200 day moving average is $31.11.

Universal Technical Institute (NYSE:UTI - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 6th. The company reported $0.01 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. The business had revenue of $221.40 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $221.61 million. Universal Technical Institute had a return on equity of 13.02% and a net margin of 4.91%. As a group, research analysts predict that Universal Technical Institute Inc will post 0.76 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms recently commented on UTI. Wall Street Zen raised Universal Technical Institute from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Saturday, March 7th. Weiss Ratings restated a "hold (c+)" rating on shares of Universal Technical Institute in a report on Wednesday, May 6th. Northland Securities set a $41.00 price target on shares of Universal Technical Institute in a research report on Thursday, May 7th. Griffin Securities set a $49.00 price objective on shares of Universal Technical Institute in a research note on Thursday, April 30th. Finally, Barrington Research increased their price objective on shares of Universal Technical Institute from $36.00 to $42.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Thursday, May 7th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $42.50.

Universal Technical Institute 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.

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