Universal Technical Institute Inc $UTI Shares Sold by Granahan Investment Management LLC

Key Points

• Granahan Investment Management cut its Universal Technical Institute stake by 44.8% in the first quarter, selling 196,859 shares and leaving it with 242,393 shares worth about $8.75 million.
• Insider selling has been notable, including recent sales by Director Linda J. Srere and insider Kevin Prehn; the article says insiders sold 3.1 million shares worth about $129 million over the last three months.
• Analysts remain constructive on UTI, with several firms raising price targets and the stock carrying a consensus Moderate Buy rating and average target price of $44.80.

Granahan Investment Management LLC cut its stake in Universal Technical Institute Inc (NYSE:UTI - Free Report) by 44.8% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 242,393 shares of the company's stock after selling 196,859 shares during the period. Granahan Investment Management LLC owned 0.44% of Universal Technical Institute worth $8,750,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Coliseum Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in Universal Technical Institute by 46.2% during the 4th quarter. Coliseum Capital Management LLC now owns 3,971,440 shares of the company's stock valued at $103,774,000 after acquiring an additional 1,255,173 shares during the last quarter. Conestoga Capital Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of Universal Technical Institute by 1,366.0% in the 1st quarter. Conestoga Capital Advisors LLC now owns 1,292,125 shares of the company's stock worth $46,646,000 after purchasing an additional 1,203,985 shares during the last quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans raised its stake in shares of Universal Technical Institute by 132.9% in the 4th quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans now owns 1,998,354 shares of the company's stock valued at $52,217,000 after purchasing an additional 1,140,465 shares in the last quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD raised its stake in shares of Universal Technical Institute by 65.2% in the 4th quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 1,599,534 shares of the company's stock valued at $41,797,000 after purchasing an additional 631,070 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Nuveen LLC raised its stake in shares of Universal Technical Institute by 168.8% in the 4th quarter. Nuveen LLC now owns 995,323 shares of the company's stock valued at $26,008,000 after purchasing an additional 625,102 shares in the last quarter. 75.67% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insider Activity at Universal Technical Institute

In related news, Director Linda J. Srere sold 15,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, May 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $36.59, for a total value of $548,850.00. Following the sale, the director owned 127,564 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $4,667,566.76. This trade represents a 10.52% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, insider Kevin Prehn sold 4,545 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $40.00, for a total value of $181,800.00. Following the transaction, the insider owned 27,025 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,081,000. This represents a 14.40% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last three months, insiders sold 3,117,545 shares of company stock valued at $128,998,420. 9.80% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms recently commented on UTI. B. Riley Financial reiterated a "buy" rating on shares of Universal Technical Institute in a research note on Thursday, April 30th. Truist Financial increased their target price on Universal Technical Institute from $40.00 to $47.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Monday, June 29th. Rosenblatt Securities lifted their target price on Universal Technical Institute from $36.00 to $45.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, May 7th. Barrington Research lifted their target price on Universal Technical Institute from $36.00 to $42.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Thursday, May 7th. Finally, Northland Securities set a $41.00 price target on Universal Technical Institute in a report on Thursday, May 7th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $44.80.

Universal Technical Institute Trading Down 2.5%

Universal Technical Institute stock opened at $37.68 on Friday. Universal Technical Institute Inc has a 1 year low of $21.29 and a 1 year high of $51.34. The firm's 50-day moving average is $41.54 and its 200-day moving average is $36.22. 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 company has a market cap of $2.07 billion, a P/E ratio of 48.94, a PEG ratio of 3.39 and a beta of 1.23.

Universal Technical Institute (NYSE:UTI - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 6th. The company reported $0.01 earnings per share 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 net margin of 4.91% and a return on equity of 13.02%. On average, equities analysts expect 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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