Universal Technical Institute (NYSE:UTI) Shares Gap Up on Insider Buying Activity

Universal Technical Institute Inc (NYSE:UTI) gapped up before the market opened on Thursday after an insider bought additional shares in the company. The stock had previously closed at $25.01, but opened at $26.46. Universal Technical Institute shares last traded at $25.7270, with a volume of 237,667 shares traded.

Specifically, Director Coliseum Capital Management, L acquired 241,087 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, December 1st. The stock was acquired at an average price of $23.79 per share, for a total transaction of $5,735,459.73. Following the acquisition, the director directly owned 2,957,354 shares in the company, valued at $70,355,451.66. This represents a 8.88% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Director Coliseum Capital Management, L bought 467,020 shares of Universal Technical Institute stock in a transaction on Tuesday, December 2nd. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $24.40 per share, for a total transaction of $11,395,288.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director directly owned 3,424,374 shares in the company, valued at approximately $83,554,725.60. The trade was a 15.79% increase in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this purchase is available in the SEC filing.

Analyst Ratings Changes

UTI has been the subject of several analyst reports. Barrington Research reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $36.00 price target on shares of Universal Technical Institute in a research note on Thursday, November 20th. Zacks Research downgraded Universal Technical Institute from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a report on Monday, October 6th. Rosenblatt Securities reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $36.00 target price on shares of Universal Technical Institute in a research report on Thursday, November 20th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Universal Technical Institute in a report on Monday. Finally, Wall Street Zen cut Universal Technical Institute from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Sunday, September 21st. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have given a Buy rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Universal Technical Institute presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $35.83.

Universal Technical Institute Stock Down 2.4%

The company has a quick ratio of 1.07, a current ratio of 1.07 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.83. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $29.16 and its 200 day simple moving average is $30.29. The firm has a market cap of $1.39 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.33, a PEG ratio of 2.28 and a beta of 1.37.

Universal Technical Institute (NYSE:UTI) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, November 19th. The company reported $0.34 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.26 by $0.08. Universal Technical Institute had a return on equity of 25.65% and a net margin of 7.54%.The firm had revenue of $222.44 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $219.33 million. Universal Technical Institute has set its FY 2026 guidance at 0.710-0.800 EPS. As a group, research analysts forecast that Universal Technical Institute Inc will post 1 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Universal Technical Institute

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Universal Technical Institute during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $27,000. Penserra Capital Management LLC bought a new position in Universal Technical Institute during the second quarter worth $28,000. KBC Group NV bought a new position in Universal Technical Institute during the second quarter worth $34,000. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. grew its holdings in Universal Technical Institute by 17,142.9% in the second quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 1,207 shares of the company’s stock worth $41,000 after purchasing an additional 1,200 shares during the period. Finally, NewEdge Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Universal Technical Institute in the first quarter valued at $57,000. 75.67% of the stock is 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.