JPMorgan Chase & Co. Lowers Stock Position in Universal Technical Institute Inc $UTI

Key Points

• JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut its stake in Universal Technical Institute by 77.8% in Q3, selling 66,922 shares and leaving 19,122 shares valued at $622,000.
• Company insiders sold a total of 145,961 shares worth about $5.25 million over the last quarter (including director sales of 10,000 and 5,000 shares), though insiders still own 9.80% of the stock.
• Analysts maintain a consensus Moderate Buy rating with a $37.50 target (4 Buy, 2 Hold); UTI recently beat quarterly EPS estimates and trades near its 1‑year high with a market cap around $1.96 billion.

JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced its stake in shares of Universal Technical Institute Inc (NYSE:UTI - Free Report) by 77.8% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 19,122 shares of the company's stock after selling 66,922 shares during the period. JPMorgan Chase & Co.'s holdings in Universal Technical Institute were worth $622,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Universal Technical Institute during the 2nd quarter valued at about $27,000. NewEdge Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Universal Technical Institute during the 1st quarter valued at about $57,000. State of Alaska Department of Revenue purchased a new position in shares of Universal Technical Institute during the 3rd quarter valued at about $92,000. Norden Group LLC purchased a new position in shares of Universal Technical Institute during the 3rd quarter valued at about $205,000. Finally, Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC purchased a new position in Universal Technical Institute in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $212,000. 75.67% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms recently commented on UTI. Zacks Research raised Universal Technical Institute from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Friday, February 6th. Wall Street Zen raised Universal Technical Institute from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Saturday, March 7th. Weiss Ratings cut Universal Technical Institute from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "hold (c+)" rating in a report on Friday, February 6th. Barrington Research reissued an "outperform" rating and issued a $36.00 price target on shares of Universal Technical Institute in a report on Thursday, February 5th. Finally, Rosenblatt Securities reissued a "buy" rating and issued a $36.00 price target on shares of Universal Technical Institute in a report on Thursday, February 5th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have assigned 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 $37.50.

Universal Technical Institute Stock Performance

NYSE:UTI opened at $35.57 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29, a current ratio of 1.14 and a quick ratio of 1.14. Universal Technical Institute Inc has a 1 year low of $21.29 and a 1 year high of $40.41. The stock's 50 day simple moving average is $33.93 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $30.22. The company has a market cap of $1.96 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 36.67, a PEG ratio of 3.08 and a beta of 1.33.

Universal Technical Institute (NYSE:UTI - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 4th. The company reported $0.23 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates 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 business had revenue of $220.84 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $216.65 million. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Universal Technical Institute Inc will post 1 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Universal Technical Institute news, Director Shannon Lei Okinaka sold 10,000 shares of Universal Technical Institute stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, March 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $34.74, for a total value of $347,400.00. Following the sale, the director owned 19,808 shares of the company's stock, valued at $688,129.92. The trade was a 33.55% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director George W. Brochick sold 5,000 shares of Universal Technical Institute stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $36.59, for a total value of $182,950.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 27,516 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,006,810.44. The trade was a 15.38% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 145,961 shares of company stock worth $5,248,127. Insiders own 9.80% 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.

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