Rosenblatt Securities Issues Positive Forecast for Universal Technical Institute (NYSE:UTI) Stock Price

Key Points

• Rosenblatt Securities raised its price target on Universal Technical Institute (UTI) from $36 to $45 and maintained a "buy" rating, implying roughly a 35.7% upside from the current price.
• UTI shares fell about 10.3% to $33.16 after recent quarterly results (EPS $0.01; revenue $221.4M roughly in line with estimates), while analysts carry a consensus "Moderate Buy" rating and a consensus target of $42.80.
• Insiders have sold roughly 145,961 shares worth $5.25M in the last 90 days (insiders own 9.8%), even as institutional investors hold about 75.7% of the stock.

Universal Technical Institute (NYSE:UTI - Get Free Report) had its price target boosted by Rosenblatt Securities from $36.00 to $45.00 in a research note issued to investors on Thursday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a "buy" rating on the stock. Rosenblatt Securities' price target would suggest a potential upside of 35.69% from the company's current price.

A number of other equities analysts have also recently weighed in on the company. Weiss Ratings cut Universal Technical Institute from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "hold (c+)" rating in a report on Friday, February 6th. Griffin Securities set a $49.00 price target on shares of Universal Technical Institute in a report on Thursday, April 30th. Barrington Research boosted their price objective on shares of Universal Technical Institute from $36.00 to $42.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Thursday. B. Riley Financial restated a "buy" rating on shares of Universal Technical Institute in a research note on Thursday, April 30th. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised Universal Technical Institute from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Saturday, March 7th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $42.80.

Universal Technical Institute Trading Down 10.3%

UTI stock traded down $3.80 during trading on Thursday, reaching $33.16. 88,132 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 682,679. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.82 billion, a PE ratio of 34.19, a P/E/G ratio of 3.34 and a beta of 1.28. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29, a current ratio of 1.14 and a quick ratio of 1.14. The business's 50 day moving average price is $36.42 and its 200-day moving average price is $30.84. Universal Technical Institute has a 52-week low of $21.29 and a 52-week high of $40.41.

Universal Technical Institute (NYSE:UTI - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, May 6th. The company reported $0.01 earnings per share for the quarter. Universal Technical Institute had a net margin of 6.28% and a return on equity of 16.98%. The business had revenue of $221.40 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $221.61 million. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Universal Technical Institute will post 0.77 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director George W. Brochick sold 5,000 shares of Universal Technical Institute stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $36.59, for a total value of $182,950.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 27,516 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,006,810.44. The trade was a 15.38% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, COO Todd A. Hitchcock sold 16,500 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $37.33, for a total transaction of $615,945.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief operating officer owned 104,084 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $3,885,455.72. The trade was a 13.68% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold 145,961 shares of company stock worth $5,248,127 over the last 90 days. Insiders own 9.80% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Universal Technical Institute

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Verdence Capital Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of Universal Technical Institute by 3.4% during the 3rd quarter. Verdence Capital Advisors LLC now owns 11,259 shares of the company's stock valued at $383,000 after purchasing an additional 367 shares in the last quarter. Leuthold Group LLC increased its position in Universal Technical Institute by 0.3% during the fourth quarter. Leuthold Group LLC now owns 141,748 shares of the company's stock worth $3,704,000 after acquiring an additional 439 shares during the period. Verition Fund Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Universal Technical Institute by 2.1% during the 3rd quarter. Verition Fund Management LLC now owns 21,034 shares of the company's stock worth $685,000 after purchasing an additional 441 shares during the period. ANB Bank grew its position in Universal Technical Institute by 5.8% during the first quarter. ANB Bank now owns 8,960 shares of the company's stock worth $323,000 after buying an additional 491 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Engineers Gate Manager LP grew its holdings in shares of Universal Technical Institute by 4.3% during the 2nd quarter. Engineers Gate Manager LP now owns 12,299 shares of the company's stock worth $417,000 after purchasing an additional 506 shares in the last quarter. 75.67% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Universal Technical Institute

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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