Universal Technical Institute (NYSE:UTI) Shares Pass Above Two Hundred Day Moving Average - What's Next?

Key Points

• Universal Technical Institute shares moved above their 200-day moving average, trading as high as $39.10 before settling near $37.23. The move came on heavy volume and signals a recent improvement in the stock’s technical trend.
• Analysts remain broadly positive on UTI, with a consensus Moderate Buy rating and an average price target of $44.25. Several firms recently reiterated or raised targets, including Barrington Research lifting its target to $42 and Northland Securities setting $41.
• The company’s latest earnings showed EPS of $0.01 on revenue of $221.4 million, roughly in line with estimates. Insider selling has also been notable, with directors and executives reducing holdings in recent months.

Universal Technical Institute Inc (NYSE:UTI - Get Free Report)'s share price crossed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Friday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of $31.68 and traded as high as $39.10. Universal Technical Institute shares last traded at $37.2340, with a volume of 1,244,552 shares traded.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

UTI has been the subject of a number of research reports. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Universal Technical Institute from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Saturday, March 7th. B. Riley Financial reissued a "buy" rating on shares of Universal Technical Institute in a research note on Thursday, April 30th. Northland Securities set a $41.00 target price on shares of Universal Technical Institute in a research note on Thursday, May 7th. Barrington Research increased their price target on Universal Technical Institute from $36.00 to $42.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Thursday, May 7th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a "hold (c+)" rating on shares of Universal Technical Institute in a report on Wednesday, May 6th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $44.25.

Universal Technical Institute Trading Down 4.6%

The business's fifty day moving average is $37.33 and its 200-day moving average is $31.68. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38, a quick ratio of 1.17 and a current ratio of 1.17. The firm has a market cap of $2.05 billion, a P/E ratio of 48.36, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.42 and a beta of 1.28.

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

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Universal Technical Institute news, Director Linda J. Srere sold 15,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Monday, May 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $36.59, for a total value of $548,850.00. Following the sale, the director owned 127,564 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,667,566.76. The trade was a 10.52% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, COO Todd A. Hitchcock sold 16,500 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $37.33, for a total value of $615,945.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief operating officer directly owned 104,084 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $3,885,455.72. The trade was a 13.68% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold a total of 99,171 shares of company stock valued at $3,645,939 over the last ninety days. 9.80% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of Universal Technical Institute

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in UTI. Coliseum Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in 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 purchasing an additional 1,255,173 shares during the last quarter. Conestoga Capital Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of Universal Technical Institute by 1,366.0% in the 1st quarter. Conestoga Capital Advisors LLC now owns 1,292,125 shares of the company's stock valued at $46,646,000 after purchasing an additional 1,203,985 shares during the last quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans increased its position in shares of Universal Technical Institute by 132.9% during the fourth quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans now owns 1,998,354 shares of the company's stock worth $52,217,000 after buying an additional 1,140,465 shares during the period. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD increased its position in shares of Universal Technical Institute by 65.2% during the fourth quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 1,599,534 shares of the company's stock worth $41,797,000 after buying an additional 631,070 shares during the period. Finally, Nuveen LLC raised its stake in Universal Technical Institute by 168.8% during the fourth quarter. Nuveen LLC now owns 995,323 shares of the company's stock worth $26,008,000 after buying an additional 625,102 shares during the last quarter. 75.67% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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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