Universal Technical Institute Inc (NYSE:UTI) Receives Consensus Recommendation of "Buy" from Brokerages

Shares of Universal Technical Institute Inc (NYSE:UTI - Get Free Report) have received a consensus rating of "Buy" from the six research firms that are currently covering the firm, Marketbeat reports. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. The average twelve-month target price among brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $35.83.

Several equities research analysts have recently issued reports on UTI shares. Rosenblatt Securities reaffirmed a "buy" rating and issued a $36.00 price objective on shares of Universal Technical Institute in a research note on Thursday, May 8th. B. Riley assumed coverage on Universal Technical Institute in a research report on Friday, March 28th. They set a "buy" rating and a $31.00 target price for the company. Truist Financial lifted their target price on Universal Technical Institute from $37.00 to $40.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, May 22nd. Lake Street Capital reiterated a "buy" rating and issued a $38.00 price target (up from $35.00) on shares of Universal Technical Institute in a report on Wednesday, May 21st. Finally, Barrington Research reiterated an "outperform" rating and issued a $36.00 price target on shares of Universal Technical Institute in a report on Thursday, June 12th.

Universal Technical Institute Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE UTI traded up $0.25 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $31.42. 581,241 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 600,806. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.71 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 30.21, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.97 and a beta of 1.58. Universal Technical Institute has a 52 week low of $15.14 and a 52 week high of $36.32. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31, a current ratio of 1.07 and a quick ratio of 1.07. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $33.53 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $29.53.

Universal Technical Institute (NYSE:UTI - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, May 7th. The company reported $0.21 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.14 by $0.07. Universal Technical Institute had a return on equity of 21.40% and a net margin of 7.34%. The company had revenue of $207.45 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $196.63 million. Analysts predict that Universal Technical Institute will post 1 EPS for the current year.

Insider Transactions at Universal Technical Institute

In other news, Director George W. Brochick sold 6,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $31.84, for a total transaction of $191,040.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 32,516 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,035,309.44. This trade represents a 15.58% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, COO Todd A. Hitchcock sold 27,500 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $33.36, for a total transaction of $917,400.00. Following the sale, the chief operating officer directly owned 80,521 shares in the company, valued at $2,686,180.56. This trade represents a 25.46% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 15.10% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Covestor Ltd increased its position in shares of Universal Technical Institute by 24.4% during the fourth quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 1,977 shares of the company's stock worth $51,000 after acquiring an additional 388 shares in the last quarter. CWM LLC increased its position in shares of Universal Technical Institute by 105.0% during the first quarter. CWM LLC now owns 2,167 shares of the company's stock worth $56,000 after acquiring an additional 1,110 shares in the last quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Universal Technical Institute during the first quarter worth about $57,000. Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken AB publ bought a new stake in shares of Universal Technical Institute during the first quarter worth about $61,000. Finally, Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd bought a new stake in shares of Universal Technical Institute during the first quarter worth about $68,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 75.67% of the company's stock.

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.