Conestoga Capital Advisors LLC Boosts Stock Position in Universal Technical Institute, Inc. (NYSE:UTI)

Conestoga Capital Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of Universal Technical Institute, Inc. (NYSE:UTI) by 9.4% during the third quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 85,110 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 7,320 shares during the period. Conestoga Capital Advisors LLC’s holdings in Universal Technical Institute were worth $1,384,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Precision Wealth Strategies LLC purchased a new position in shares of Universal Technical Institute in the first quarter worth about $255,000. BNP Paribas Financial Markets lifted its position in Universal Technical Institute by 34.8% in the first quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 45,439 shares of the company’s stock valued at $724,000 after purchasing an additional 11,719 shares during the last quarter. Pullen Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Universal Technical Institute during the first quarter valued at approximately $874,000. Thompson Davis & CO. Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Universal Technical Institute by 66.3% in the first quarter. Thompson Davis & CO. Inc. now owns 19,000 shares of the company’s stock worth $303,000 after purchasing an additional 7,575 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Empowered Funds LLC increased its stake in shares of Universal Technical Institute by 8.1% in the first quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 188,781 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,009,000 after buying an additional 14,187 shares during the period. 75.67% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages recently commented on UTI. Barrington Research reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and issued a $22.00 price target on shares of Universal Technical Institute in a research note on Wednesday, August 7th. Truist Financial started coverage on shares of Universal Technical Institute in a research report on Thursday, July 25th. They set a “buy” rating and a $22.00 price target on the stock. Rosenblatt Securities restated a “buy” rating and issued a $22.00 price objective on shares of Universal Technical Institute in a report on Wednesday, September 11th. StockNews.com upgraded Universal Technical Institute from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, August 7th. Finally, Northland Securities lifted their price target on Universal Technical Institute from $18.00 to $20.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 7th. Six analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $21.60.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, CEO Jerome Alan Grant sold 68,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $17.53, for a total value of $1,192,040.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 136,443 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,391,845.79. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 27.60% of the company’s stock.

Universal Technical Institute Price Performance

Shares of UTI traded up $0.12 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $16.76. 32,271 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 527,058. The company has a current ratio of 1.02, a quick ratio of 1.02 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.56. Universal Technical Institute, Inc. has a 52-week low of $8.91 and a 52-week high of $19.79. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $16.41 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $16.13. The company has a market cap of $901.86 million, a P/E ratio of 33.28, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.25 and a beta of 1.35.

Universal Technical Institute (NYSE:UTI) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, August 6th. The company reported $0.09 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.07 by $0.02. The business had revenue of $177.46 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $172.33 million. Universal Technical Institute had a net margin of 3.82% and a return on equity of 12.66%. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned ($0.05) EPS. On average, analysts anticipate that Universal Technical Institute, Inc. will post 0.71 earnings per share for the current year.

Universal Technical Institute 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.