UBS Group AG Buys 109,100 Shares of Universal Technical Institute Inc $UTI

Key Points

• UBS Group AG increased its stake in Universal Technical Institute by 89% in the fourth quarter, adding 109,100 shares to hold 231,717 shares worth about $6.1 million.
• Other institutional investors also expanded positions, and overall institutions now own 75.67% of the company’s stock, signaling strong professional interest in UTI.
• Analyst sentiment remains positive, with a Moderate Buy consensus and a target price of $43.40, while the company recently reported quarterly EPS of $0.01 on revenue of $221.4 million.

UBS Group AG boosted its stake in Universal Technical Institute Inc (NYSE:UTI - Free Report) by 89.0% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 231,717 shares of the company's stock after buying an additional 109,100 shares during the period. UBS Group AG owned 0.42% of Universal Technical Institute worth $6,055,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the business. Baillie Gifford & Co. bought a new stake in Universal Technical Institute during the third quarter worth about $18,901,000. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. boosted its stake in Universal Technical Institute by 68.5% during the 3rd quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 152,499 shares of the company's stock valued at $4,964,000 after purchasing an additional 61,971 shares during the last quarter. Chatham Capital Group Inc. increased its holdings in Universal Technical Institute by 73.3% in the 4th quarter. Chatham Capital Group Inc. now owns 68,512 shares of the company's stock worth $1,790,000 after buying an additional 28,972 shares in the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its stake in shares of Universal Technical Institute by 4.3% in the third quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 3,456,452 shares of the company's stock worth $112,508,000 after acquiring an additional 141,426 shares during the period. Finally, Thrivent Financial for Lutherans purchased a new stake in Universal Technical Institute during the 3rd quarter valued at $27,924,000. Institutional investors own 75.67% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have recently commented on UTI. B. Riley Financial reaffirmed a "buy" rating on shares of Universal Technical Institute in a research report on Thursday, April 30th. Northland Securities set a $41.00 price objective on Universal Technical Institute in a research report on Thursday, May 7th. Weiss Ratings restated a "hold (c+)" rating on shares of Universal Technical Institute in a research report on Wednesday, May 6th. Zacks Research upgraded Universal Technical Institute from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Friday, February 6th. Finally, Barrington Research lifted 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 note on Thursday, May 7th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $43.40.

Insider Activity at Universal Technical Institute

In other news, COO Todd A. Hitchcock sold 16,500 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $37.33, for a total value of $615,945.00. Following the sale, the chief operating officer directly owned 104,084 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,885,455.72. This trade represents a 13.68% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director Shannon Lei Okinaka sold 10,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, March 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $34.74, for a total transaction of $347,400.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 19,808 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $688,129.92. This trade represents a 33.55% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold 159,211 shares of company stock valued at $5,744,337 over the last 90 days. Insiders own 9.80% of the company's stock.

Universal Technical Institute Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:UTI opened at $37.24 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38, a quick ratio of 1.17 and a current ratio of 1.17. The firm's 50 day simple moving average is $36.86 and its 200-day simple moving average is $31.18. The firm has a market cap of $2.05 billion, a PE ratio of 48.36, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.16 and a beta of 1.28. Universal Technical Institute Inc has a one year low of $21.29 and a one year high of $41.53.

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