Universal Technical Institute (NYSE:UTI) Stock Rating Upgraded by StockNews.com

Universal Technical Institute (NYSE:UTI) was upgraded by StockNews.com from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report released on Wednesday.

A number of other analysts have also recently weighed in on UTI. Rosenblatt Securities reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $22.00 target price on shares of Universal Technical Institute in a research note on Wednesday. Truist Financial started coverage on shares of Universal Technical Institute in a research note on Thursday, July 25th. They set a “buy” rating and a $22.00 price objective on the stock. Barrington Research reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $22.00 price objective on shares of Universal Technical Institute in a research note on Wednesday. B. Riley reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $22.00 price objective (up from $20.00) on shares of Universal Technical Institute in a research note on Thursday, May 30th. Finally, Northland Securities upped their price objective on shares of Universal Technical Institute from $18.00 to $20.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to MarketBeat.com, Universal Technical Institute currently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $19.83.

Universal Technical Institute Stock Performance

Shares of UTI stock traded down $0.59 during trading hours on Wednesday, reaching $16.91. 656,263 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 609,555. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $16.30 and a 200-day moving average price of $15.47. The stock has a market capitalization of $909.77 million, a P/E ratio of 46.97, a P/E/G ratio of 1.68 and a beta of 1.26. The company has a quick ratio of 1.02, a current ratio of 1.02 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60. Universal Technical Institute has a fifty-two week low of $7.46 and a fifty-two week high of $19.79.

Universal Technical Institute (NYSE:UTI) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 6th. The company reported $0.09 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.07 by $0.02. The company had revenue of $177.46 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $172.33 million. Universal Technical Institute had a return on equity of 10.55% and a net margin of 2.97%. During the same quarter last year, the company earned ($0.05) EPS. Analysts predict that Universal Technical Institute will post 0.71 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director Loretta Lydia Sanchez sold 6,288 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $15.22, for a total transaction of $95,703.36. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 13,712 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $208,696.64. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. 27.60% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Universal Technical Institute

Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Russell Investments Group Ltd. lifted its holdings in Universal Technical Institute by 341.1% in the first quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 334,332 shares of the company’s stock valued at $5,329,000 after buying an additional 258,532 shares during the period. Acadian Asset Management LLC raised its holdings in Universal Technical Institute by 2,058.7% in the first quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC now owns 298,849 shares of the company’s stock worth $4,763,000 after purchasing an additional 285,005 shares during the period. First Eagle Investment Management LLC raised its holdings in Universal Technical Institute by 2.6% in the fourth quarter. First Eagle Investment Management LLC now owns 437,677 shares of the company’s stock worth $5,480,000 after purchasing an additional 11,286 shares during the period. Jump Financial LLC acquired a new stake in Universal Technical Institute in the fourth quarter worth $503,000. Finally, Los Angeles Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in Universal Technical Institute in the first quarter worth $802,000. 75.67% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.