Todd Hitchcock Sells 16,500 Shares of Universal Technical Institute (NYSE:UTI) Stock

Key Points

• COO Todd Hitchcock sold 16,500 shares on March 4 at an average price of $37.33 for proceeds of $615,945, trimming his stake by 13.68% to 104,084 shares (SEC filing).
• Universal Technical Institute beat expectations for the quarter with EPS of $0.23 vs. $0.15 expected and revenue of $220.84M, while the stock trades near $34.99 with a market cap of $1.93B and a P/E of 36.07.
• Analyst views are mixed—MarketBeat shows an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a $36.20 target—while several hedge funds significantly increased positions, and institutions now own about 75.67% of the stock.

Universal Technical Institute Inc (NYSE:UTI - Get Free Report) COO Todd Hitchcock sold 16,500 shares of the business'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 of the company's stock, valued at approximately $3,885,455.72. This trade represents a 13.68% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link.

Universal Technical Institute Trading Down 0.2%

Shares of Universal Technical Institute stock traded down $0.08 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $34.99. The stock had a trading volume of 528,651 shares, compared to its average volume of 806,183. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.93 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 36.07, a P/E/G ratio of 3.10 and a beta of 1.31. Universal Technical Institute Inc has a 1 year low of $21.29 and a 1 year high of $38.02. The company has a current ratio of 1.14, a quick ratio of 1.14 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $29.20 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $28.55.

Universal Technical Institute (NYSE:UTI - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, February 4th. The company reported $0.23 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.15 by $0.08. Universal Technical Institute had a net margin of 6.28% and a return on equity of 16.98%. The firm had revenue of $220.84 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $216.65 million. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Universal Technical Institute Inc will post 1 earnings per share for the current year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts recently issued reports on UTI shares. Barrington Research reiterated an "outperform" rating and issued a $36.00 price target on shares of Universal Technical Institute in a report on Thursday, February 5th. Rosenblatt Securities reaffirmed a "buy" rating and issued a $36.00 target price on shares of Universal Technical Institute in a research report on Thursday, February 5th. Zacks Research upgraded Universal Technical Institute from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Friday, February 6th. Wall Street Zen lowered Universal Technical Institute from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research report on Saturday, February 7th. Finally, Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of Universal Technical Institute from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "hold (c+)" rating in a research report on Friday, February 6th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have given a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Universal Technical Institute has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $36.20.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Universal Technical Institute

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Coliseum Capital Management LLC raised its stake in Universal Technical Institute by 46.2% during the fourth quarter. Coliseum Capital Management LLC now owns 3,971,440 shares of the company's stock valued at $103,774,000 after buying an additional 1,255,173 shares in the last quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans grew its position 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 worth $52,217,000 after acquiring an additional 1,140,465 shares in the last quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD increased its holdings 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 acquiring an additional 631,070 shares during the last quarter. Nuveen LLC raised its position in shares of Universal Technical Institute by 168.8% during the 4th quarter. Nuveen LLC now owns 995,323 shares of the company's stock valued at $26,008,000 after acquiring an additional 625,102 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Baillie Gifford & Co. bought a new position in Universal Technical Institute during the third quarter worth $18,901,000. 75.67% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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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