Universal Technical Institute Inc (NYSE:UTI) Given Average Recommendation of "Moderate Buy" by Brokerages

Key Points

• Analyst consensus: Six brokerages rate UTI a "Moderate Buy" (2 Hold, 4 Buy) with an average 12‑month price target of $37.50.
• Insider selling: CEO Jerome Grant and COO Todd Hitchcock were among insiders who sold shares recently, with insiders offloading 145,961 shares worth about $5.25M in the last three months while still owning 9.80% of the company.
• Institutional inflows and results: Large funds (Coliseum, Thrivent, T. Rowe, Nuveen) substantially increased stakes in Q4—raising institutional ownership to ~75.7%—and UTI recently beat estimates (Q EPS $0.23 vs $0.15; revenue $220.8M vs $216.7M).

Universal Technical Institute Inc (NYSE:UTI - Get Free Report) has earned a consensus recommendation of "Moderate Buy" from the six ratings firms that are currently covering the firm, MarketBeat.com reports. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and four have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average 12-month target price among brokers that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $37.50.

UTI has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Wall Street Zen upgraded Universal Technical Institute from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Saturday, March 7th. Barrington Research restated an "outperform" rating and set a $36.00 price target on shares of Universal Technical Institute in a report on Friday. Weiss Ratings downgraded Universal Technical Institute from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "hold (c+)" rating in a report on Friday, February 6th. Rosenblatt Securities restated a "buy" rating and set a $36.00 price target on shares of Universal Technical Institute in a report on Thursday, February 5th. Finally, Zacks Research upgraded Universal Technical Institute from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Friday, February 6th.

Insider Activity

In other Universal Technical Institute news, COO Todd A. Hitchcock sold 16,500 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $37.33, for a total transaction of $615,945.00. Following the transaction, the chief operating officer owned 104,084 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,885,455.72. This represents a 13.68% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, CEO Jerome Alan Grant sold 60,040 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $34.95, for a total value of $2,098,398.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 430,215 shares in the company, valued at $15,036,014.25. This trade represents a 12.25% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last three months, insiders have sold 145,961 shares of company stock worth $5,248,127. Company insiders own 9.80% of the company's stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in UTI. Coliseum Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of 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 worth $103,774,000 after acquiring an additional 1,255,173 shares during the period. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans grew its holdings in shares of Universal Technical Institute by 132.9% during 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 during the period. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD grew its holdings in shares of Universal Technical Institute by 65.2% during the 4th quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 1,599,534 shares of the company's stock worth $41,797,000 after acquiring an additional 631,070 shares during the period. Nuveen LLC grew its holdings 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 worth $26,008,000 after acquiring an additional 625,102 shares during the period. Finally, Baillie Gifford & Co. purchased a new position in shares of Universal Technical Institute during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $18,901,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 75.67% of the company's stock.

Universal Technical Institute Stock Down 0.4%

Shares of NYSE:UTI opened at $38.09 on Tuesday. Universal Technical Institute has a 1 year low of $21.29 and a 1 year high of $40.41. The company has a market cap of $2.10 billion, a PE ratio of 39.27, a P/E/G ratio of 3.31 and a beta of 1.33. 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 stock's 50-day moving average is $35.08 and its 200 day moving average is $30.42.

Universal Technical Institute (NYSE:UTI - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 4th. The company reported $0.23 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.15 by $0.08. Universal Technical Institute had a return on equity of 16.98% and a net margin of 6.28%.The company had revenue of $220.84 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $216.65 million. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Universal Technical Institute will post 0.77 EPS for the current year.

Universal Technical Institute Company 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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