Washington University Takes Position in Universal Technical Institute, Inc. (NYSE:UTI)

Washington University bought a new position in shares of Universal Technical Institute, Inc. (NYSE:UTI - Free Report) in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm bought 2,866,276 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $35,886,000. Universal Technical Institute makes up about 17.7% of Washington University's holdings, making the stock its 3rd largest holding. Washington University owned about 8.41% of Universal Technical Institute as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased its position in shares of Universal Technical Institute by 462.0% in the first quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 49,517 shares of the company's stock worth $438,000 after acquiring an additional 40,706 shares in the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp lifted its stake in Universal Technical Institute by 65.2% in the 1st quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 65,814 shares of the company's stock worth $583,000 after acquiring an additional 25,977 shares in the last quarter. American Century Companies Inc. grew its stake in Universal Technical Institute by 61.1% during the 1st quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 19,948 shares of the company's stock valued at $177,000 after acquiring an additional 7,563 shares in the last quarter. Citigroup Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Universal Technical Institute in the first quarter worth approximately $299,000. Finally, BlackRock Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Universal Technical Institute by 0.7% during the first quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 507,116 shares of the company's stock worth $4,487,000 after purchasing an additional 3,325 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 75.67% of the company's stock.

Insider Activity at Universal Technical Institute

In related news, Director Loretta Lydia Sanchez sold 8,719 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $15.07, for a total value of $131,395.33. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly 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 the SEC website. 27.60% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on UTI shares. TheStreet raised shares of Universal Technical Institute from a "c+" rating to a "b" rating in a research note on Thursday, February 1st. Barrington Research increased their price objective on Universal Technical Institute from $15.00 to $18.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Thursday, February 8th. Rosenblatt Securities boosted their target price on Universal Technical Institute from $14.00 to $17.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, January 25th. StockNews.com downgraded Universal Technical Institute from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Wednesday, March 27th. Finally, Northland Securities began coverage on shares of Universal Technical Institute in a research report on Wednesday, January 10th. They issued an "outperform" rating and a $16.00 price target on the stock. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $15.20.

Universal Technical Institute Stock Performance

NYSE UTI traded up $0.70 during trading on Monday, hitting $15.48. The company's stock had a trading volume of 785,777 shares, compared to its average volume of 662,521. Universal Technical Institute, Inc. has a 52 week low of $5.63 and a 52 week high of $16.37. The firm has a market cap of $527.31 million, a P/E ratio of 59.52, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.40 and a beta of 1.20. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $14.98 and a 200 day moving average price of $12.29. The company has a quick ratio of 1.09, a current ratio of 1.09 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72.

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

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.