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

Key Points

• Universal Technical Institute has a consensus analyst rating of “Moderate Buy”, based on five analysts, with an average 12-month price target of $44.25. Of the recent ratings, three are buys and two are holds.
• The stock has seen some insider selling, including recent sales by Director George W. Brochick and CAO Christine Kline. Insiders sold 23,500 shares worth about $887,270 over the last quarter.
• UTI reported its latest quarterly results with $0.01 EPS and revenue of $221.4 million, just shy of analyst expectations. The company’s shares were also noted as down 8.3% in the session referenced by the article.

Shares of Universal Technical Institute Inc (NYSE:UTI - Get Free Report) have been assigned an average recommendation of "Moderate Buy" from the five analysts that are covering the company, Marketbeat reports. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the company. The average 12 month price target among brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $44.25.

A number of brokerages have issued reports on UTI. Weiss Ratings lowered Universal Technical Institute from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "hold (c)" rating in a research note on Friday. Northland Securities set a $41.00 price objective on Universal Technical Institute in a research note on Thursday, May 7th. Wall Street Zen upgraded Universal Technical Institute from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Saturday, March 7th. B. Riley Financial reaffirmed a "buy" rating on shares of Universal Technical Institute in a report on Thursday, April 30th. Finally, Barrington Research boosted their price target on shares of Universal Technical Institute from $36.00 to $42.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Thursday, May 7th.

Insider Transactions at Universal Technical Institute

In related news, Director George W. Brochick sold 5,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $36.59, for a total transaction of $182,950.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 27,516 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,006,810.44. This trade represents a 15.38% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, CAO Christine Kline sold 3,500 shares of Universal Technical Institute stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, June 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $44.42, for a total transaction of $155,470.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer owned 43,006 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,910,326.52. This trade represents a 7.53% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold 23,500 shares of company stock valued at $887,270 in the last quarter. Insiders own 9.80% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Universal Technical Institute

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Leuthold Group LLC boosted its position in shares of Universal Technical Institute by 0.3% in the 4th quarter. Leuthold Group LLC now owns 141,748 shares of the company's stock valued at $3,704,000 after purchasing an additional 439 shares during the period. Verition Fund Management LLC lifted its stake in Universal Technical Institute by 2.1% during the third quarter. Verition Fund Management LLC now owns 21,034 shares of the company's stock valued at $685,000 after buying an additional 441 shares in the last quarter. ANB Bank boosted its holdings in shares of Universal Technical Institute by 5.8% in the first quarter. ANB Bank now owns 8,960 shares of the company's stock worth $323,000 after buying an additional 491 shares during the period. Engineers Gate Manager LP boosted its holdings in shares of Universal Technical Institute by 4.3% in the second quarter. Engineers Gate Manager LP now owns 12,299 shares of the company's stock worth $417,000 after buying an additional 506 shares during the period. Finally, SkyView Investment Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of Universal Technical Institute by 1.2% in the second quarter. SkyView Investment Advisors LLC now owns 42,404 shares of the company's stock worth $1,460,000 after acquiring an additional 506 shares in the last quarter. 75.67% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Universal Technical Institute Trading Down 8.3%

Shares of NYSE:UTI opened at $39.38 on Wednesday. The company has a 50 day moving average of $38.00 and a 200-day moving average of $32.35. The firm has a market cap of $2.17 billion, a P/E ratio of 51.15, a P/E/G ratio of 3.77 and a beta of 1.25. Universal Technical Institute has a twelve month low of $21.29 and a twelve month high of $45.74. The company has a current ratio of 1.17, a quick ratio of 1.17 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38.

Universal Technical Institute (NYSE:UTI - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 6th. The company reported $0.01 EPS for the quarter. Universal Technical Institute had a net margin of 4.91% and a return on equity of 13.02%. The business had revenue of $221.40 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $221.61 million. As a group, analysts anticipate that Universal Technical Institute will post 0.76 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

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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