Thrivent Financial for Lutherans Buys 1,140,465 Shares of Universal Technical Institute Inc $UTI

Key Points

• Thrivent Financial for Lutherans significantly increased its stake in Universal Technical Institute, boosting holdings by 132.9% to 1,998,354 shares worth about $52.2 million. The fund now owns roughly 3.63% of the company.
• Several analysts remain constructive on UTI, with Rosenblatt Securities raising its price target to $45 and the consensus rating sitting at Moderate Buy with an average target price of $42.50.
• Insider selling has been notable, including recent share sales by directors Linda J. Srere and Shannon Lei Okinaka. In the past 90 days, insiders sold 159,211 shares worth about $5.74 million.

Thrivent Financial for Lutherans lifted its holdings in shares of Universal Technical Institute Inc (NYSE:UTI - Free Report) by 132.9% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 1,998,354 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 1,140,465 shares during the period. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans owned approximately 3.63% of Universal Technical Institute worth $52,217,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in UTI. Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. bought a new position in shares of Universal Technical Institute during the 2nd quarter worth about $27,000. NewEdge Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Universal Technical Institute during the 1st quarter worth about $57,000. State of Alaska Department of Revenue bought a new position in shares of Universal Technical Institute during the 3rd quarter worth about $92,000. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. lifted its holdings in shares of Universal Technical Institute by 4,500.0% during the 4th quarter. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. now owns 5,428 shares of the company's stock worth $142,000 after acquiring an additional 5,310 shares during the period. Finally, Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC bought a new position in shares of Universal Technical Institute during the 3rd quarter worth about $212,000. 75.67% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Insider Activity at Universal Technical Institute

In other news, Director Linda J. Srere sold 15,000 shares of Universal Technical Institute stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 sale, the director owned 127,564 shares in the company, valued at $4,667,566.76. The trade was a 10.52% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, 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 transaction of $347,400.00. Following the sale, the director owned 19,808 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $688,129.92. This represents a 33.55% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold 159,211 shares of company stock worth $5,744,337 over the last 90 days. Insiders own 9.80% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms have recently commented on UTI. Rosenblatt Securities raised their price objective on shares of Universal Technical Institute from $36.00 to $45.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, May 7th. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Universal Technical Institute from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Saturday, March 7th. Weiss Ratings restated a "hold (c+)" rating on shares of Universal Technical Institute in a research report on Wednesday, May 6th. Northland Securities set a $41.00 price objective on shares of Universal Technical Institute in a research report on Thursday, May 7th. Finally, Zacks Research upgraded shares of Universal Technical Institute from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Friday, February 6th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $42.50.

Universal Technical Institute Stock Down 4.5%

Shares of NYSE:UTI opened at $39.62 on Friday. Universal Technical Institute Inc has a one year low of $21.29 and a one year high of $41.53. The company has a 50 day moving average of $36.72 and a 200-day moving average of $31.11. 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 stock has a market cap of $2.18 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 51.46, a P/E/G ratio of 3.47 and a beta of 1.28.

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

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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