Universal Technical Institute (NYSE:UTI) Upgraded at Wall Street Zen

Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Universal Technical Institute (NYSE:UTI) from a sell rating to a hold rating in a research report report published on Saturday morning.

Other equities analysts have also recently issued research reports about the company. Weiss Ratings cut Universal Technical Institute from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a report on Friday, February 6th. Barrington Research restated an “outperform” rating and set a $36.00 price target on shares of Universal Technical Institute in a report on Thursday, February 5th. Rosenblatt Securities restated a “buy” rating and issued a $36.00 price target on shares of Universal Technical Institute in a research report on Thursday, February 5th. Finally, Zacks Research raised shares of Universal Technical Institute from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, February 6th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have given a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Universal Technical Institute presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $36.20.

Universal Technical Institute Stock Up 0.6%

Shares of NYSE UTI opened at $35.20 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 1.14, a quick ratio of 1.14 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29. Universal Technical Institute has a 12-month low of $21.29 and a 12-month high of $38.02. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $29.52 and its 200-day moving average price is $28.71. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.94 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 36.29, a P/E/G ratio of 3.03 and a beta of 1.31.

Universal Technical Institute (NYSE:UTI) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 4th. The company reported $0.23 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.15 by $0.08. Universal Technical Institute had a return on equity of 16.98% and a net margin of 6.28%.The company had revenue of $220.84 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $216.65 million. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Universal Technical Institute will post 1 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Universal Technical Institute

In other news, CEO Jerome Alan Grant sold 60,040 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $34.95, for a total transaction of $2,098,398.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 430,215 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $15,036,014.25. This represents a 12.25% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, COO Todd A. Hitchcock sold 16,500 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 4th. The stock was 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 owned 104,084 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,885,455.72. The trade was a 13.68% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 140,961 shares of company stock valued at $5,065,177. 9.80% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of Universal Technical Institute

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Universal Technical Institute during the second quarter valued at $27,000. Penserra Capital Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Universal Technical Institute in the second quarter worth about $28,000. KBC Group NV purchased a new position in Universal Technical Institute in the 2nd quarter worth about $34,000. Clearstead Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in Universal Technical Institute by 187.5% during the 4th quarter. Clearstead Advisors LLC now owns 1,446 shares of the company’s stock valued at $38,000 after buying an additional 943 shares in the last quarter. Finally, PNC Financial Services Group Inc. lifted its holdings in Universal Technical Institute by 17,142.9% during the 2nd quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 1,207 shares of the company’s stock valued at $41,000 after buying an additional 1,200 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 75.67% of the company’s stock.

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.