Universal Technical Institute (NYSE:UTI) Shares Gap Down - Should You Sell?

Universal Technical Institute, Inc. (NYSE:UTI - Get Free Report) shares gapped down before the market opened on Wednesday . The stock had previously closed at $35.76, but opened at $35.01. Universal Technical Institute shares last traded at $35.45, with a volume of 138,754 shares traded.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts recently weighed in on UTI shares. Lake Street Capital restated a "buy" rating and set a $38.00 target price (up from $35.00) on shares of Universal Technical Institute in a report on Wednesday, May 21st. Truist Financial boosted their target price on shares of Universal Technical Institute from $37.00 to $40.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, May 22nd. Rosenblatt Securities restated a "buy" rating and set a $36.00 target price on shares of Universal Technical Institute in a report on Thursday, May 8th. B. Riley began coverage on shares of Universal Technical Institute in a report on Friday, March 28th. They set a "buy" rating and a $31.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Northland Securities lifted their price objective on shares of Universal Technical Institute from $30.00 to $34.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Thursday, February 6th. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Buy" and a consensus target price of $35.83.

Universal Technical Institute Stock Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42, a current ratio of 1.14 and a quick ratio of 1.14. The stock's 50-day simple moving average is $29.72 and its 200 day simple moving average is $27.38. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.93 billion, a P/E ratio of 36.64, a PEG ratio of 1.92 and a beta of 1.57.

Universal Technical Institute (NYSE:UTI - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 7th. The company reported $0.21 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.14 by $0.07. Universal Technical Institute had a net margin of 7.08% and a return on equity of 21.25%. The firm had revenue of $207.45 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $196.63 million. Research analysts expect that Universal Technical Institute, Inc. will post 1 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In other news, COO Todd A. Hitchcock sold 27,500 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $33.36, for a total value of $917,400.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief operating officer now owns 80,521 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,686,180.56. The trade was a 25.46% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, EVP Sherrell Smith sold 36,773 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $26.68, for a total transaction of $981,103.64. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 227,358 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $6,065,911.44. The trade was a 13.92% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 120,024 shares of company stock valued at $3,466,170. 15.10% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Universal Technical Institute

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Covestor Ltd lifted its position in 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 purchasing an additional 388 shares during the period. CWM LLC lifted its position in 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 purchasing an additional 1,110 shares during the period. NewEdge Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Universal Technical Institute during the first quarter worth about $57,000. Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken AB publ bought a new stake in Universal Technical Institute during the first quarter worth about $61,000. Finally, Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd bought a new stake in Universal Technical Institute during the first quarter worth about $68,000. Institutional investors 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.