Universal Technical Institute (NYSE:UTI) Shares Gap Up - Time to Buy?

Key Points

• Universal Technical Institute shares opened at $30.30, up from a prior close of $29.00, with significant trading volume of 115,859 shares.
• Analysts have mixed reviews on the stock; Wall Street Zen downgraded it to a "hold" while Rosenblatt Securities and Barrington Research maintain a "buy" rating, both setting a price target of $36.00.
• In its recent earnings report, Universal Technical Institute surpassed consensus estimates with earnings of $0.19 per share and revenue of $204.30 million.

Universal Technical Institute Inc (NYSE:UTI - Get Free Report) shares gapped up before the market opened on Wednesday . The stock had previously closed at $29.00, but opened at $30.30. Universal Technical Institute shares last traded at $30.74, with a volume of 115,859 shares traded.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms recently commented on UTI. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Universal Technical Institute from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Sunday. Rosenblatt Securities restated a "buy" rating and set a $36.00 target price on shares of Universal Technical Institute in a research report on Thursday, August 7th. Finally, Barrington Research reiterated an "outperform" rating and issued a $36.00 price target on shares of Universal Technical Institute in a research report on Tuesday, July 29th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating and five have given a Buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of "Buy" and an average target price of $35.83.

Universal Technical Institute Price Performance

The company's 50-day moving average is $28.61 and its 200-day moving average is $29.87. The firm has a market cap of $1.67 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.90, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.83 and a beta of 1.65. The company has a current ratio of 1.00, a quick ratio of 1.00 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.23.

Universal Technical Institute (NYSE:UTI - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 6th. The company reported $0.19 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.12 by $0.07. Universal Technical Institute had a return on equity of 22.12% and a net margin of 7.79%.The business had revenue of $204.30 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $200.01 million. Equities research analysts predict that Universal Technical Institute Inc will post 1 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Universal Technical Institute

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Squarepoint Ops LLC increased its position in shares of Universal Technical Institute by 48.5% during the second quarter. Squarepoint Ops LLC now owns 37,098 shares of the company's stock worth $1,257,000 after acquiring an additional 12,120 shares in the last quarter. Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. acquired a new position in Universal Technical Institute during the 2nd quarter valued at about $27,000. CANADA LIFE ASSURANCE Co increased its holdings in Universal Technical Institute by 7.5% during the 2nd quarter. CANADA LIFE ASSURANCE Co now owns 22,864 shares of the company's stock worth $776,000 after purchasing an additional 1,601 shares in the last quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC raised its stake in shares of Universal Technical Institute by 582.1% in the second quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 8,690 shares of the company's stock worth $295,000 after purchasing an additional 7,416 shares during the last quarter. Finally, SkyView Investment Advisors LLC lifted its holdings 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 valued at $1,460,000 after purchasing an additional 506 shares in the last quarter. 75.67% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

About Universal Technical Institute

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.

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