Barrington Research Boosts Universal Technical Institute (NYSE:UTI) Price Target to $20.00

Universal Technical Institute (NYSE:UTI - Free Report) had its target price lifted by Barrington Research from $18.00 to $20.00 in a research report report published on Thursday, Benzinga reports. The firm currently has an outperform rating on the stock.

Several other equities research analysts have also recently commented on the stock. TheStreet upgraded shares of Universal Technical Institute from a c+ rating to a b rating in a research report on Thursday, February 1st. Rosenblatt Securities reiterated a buy rating and issued a $18.00 target price on shares of Universal Technical Institute in a report on Monday, April 29th. StockNews.com lowered shares of Universal Technical Institute from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 27th. Finally, Northland Securities began coverage on Universal Technical Institute in a report on Wednesday, January 10th. They issued an outperform rating and a $16.00 price target on the stock. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $15.80.

Universal Technical Institute Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:UTI traded down $1.51 during trading on Thursday, reaching $15.18. The company had a trading volume of 1,687,343 shares, compared to its average volume of 623,798. The firm's fifty day moving average is $15.06 and its 200 day moving average is $13.29. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72, a quick ratio of 1.09 and a current ratio of 1.09. The firm has a market capitalization of $517.33 million, a PE ratio of 55.65, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.48 and a beta of 1.22. Universal Technical Institute has a twelve month low of $5.63 and a twelve month high of $17.09.

Universal Technical Institute (NYSE:UTI - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 7th. The company reported $0.17 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.06 by $0.11. Universal Technical Institute had a return on equity of 9.25% and a net margin of 2.41%. The firm had revenue of $174.70 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $168.19 million. On average, equities analysts forecast that Universal Technical Institute will post 0.7 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity at Universal Technical Institute

In other news, Director Loretta Lydia Sanchez sold 8,719 shares of Universal Technical Institute stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $15.07, for a total transaction of $131,395.33. Following the transaction, the director now owns 20,000 shares in the company, valued at $301,400. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. 27.60% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in UTI. Brandywine Global Investment Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Universal Technical Institute by 8.3% during the 3rd quarter. Brandywine Global Investment Management LLC now owns 15,540 shares of the company's stock worth $130,000 after purchasing an additional 1,190 shares during the last quarter. Kennedy Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in Universal Technical Institute by 2.4% during the third quarter. Kennedy Capital Management LLC now owns 74,516 shares of the company's stock valued at $624,000 after buying an additional 1,751 shares in the last quarter. New York State Common Retirement Fund raised its holdings in Universal Technical Institute by 28.0% during the fourth quarter. New York State Common Retirement Fund now owns 10,493 shares of the company's stock valued at $131,000 after buying an additional 2,296 shares in the last quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Universal Technical Institute by 1,152.0% during the 4th quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC now owns 3,130 shares of the company's stock worth $39,000 after acquiring an additional 2,880 shares in the last quarter. Finally, SG Americas Securities LLC increased its holdings in shares of Universal Technical Institute by 28.8% during the 4th quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 15,929 shares of the company's stock valued at $199,000 after acquiring an additional 3,557 shares during the last quarter. 75.67% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Universal Technical Institute Company Profile

Universal Technical Institute, Inc provides transportation, skilled trades, and healthcare education programs in the United States. The company operates in two segments, UTI and Concorde. It offers certificate, diploma, or degree programs under various brands, such as Universal Technical Institute, Motorcycle Mechanics Institute, Marine Mechanics Institute, NASCAR Technical Institute, and MIAT College of Technology.