Universal Technical Institute (NYSE:UTI) Reaches New 52-Week High – Here’s Why

Universal Technical Institute Inc (NYSE:UTI) hit a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Tuesday . The company traded as high as $50.39 and last traded at $49.94, with a volume of 1133264 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $48.24.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several brokerages have recently issued reports on UTI. Rosenblatt Securities lifted their price target on Universal Technical Institute from $36.00 to $45.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, May 7th. B. Riley Financial restated a “buy” rating on shares of Universal Technical Institute in a report on Thursday, April 30th. Griffin Securities set a $49.00 target price on Universal Technical Institute in a research note on Thursday, April 30th. Barrington Research lifted their target price on Universal Technical Institute from $36.00 to $42.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, May 7th. Finally, Weiss Ratings raised shares of Universal Technical Institute from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a report on Tuesday, June 23rd. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $44.80.

Universal Technical Institute Price Performance

The stock has a 50 day moving average of $39.96 and a two-hundred day moving average of $34.68. The stock has a market cap of $2.75 billion, a PE ratio of 64.86, a PEG ratio of 4.23 and a beta of 1.23. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38, a quick ratio of 1.17 and a current ratio of 1.17.

Universal Technical Institute (NYSE:UTI) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 6th. The company reported $0.01 EPS for the quarter. Universal Technical Institute had a net margin of 4.91% and a return on equity of 13.02%. The company had revenue of $221.40 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $221.61 million. Equities analysts anticipate that Universal Technical Institute Inc will post 0.76 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Universal Technical Institute

In related news, CEO Jerome Alan Grant sold 94,500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $41.40, for a total value of $3,912,300.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 335,715 shares in the company, valued at approximately $13,898,601. This represents a 21.97% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director Coliseum Capital Management, L sold 3,000,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $41.40, for a total transaction of $124,200,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 971,440 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $40,217,616. This represents a 75.54% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold 3,117,545 shares of company stock valued at $128,998,420 over the last three months. 9.80% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of Universal Technical Institute

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Royal Bank of Canada lifted its stake in Universal Technical Institute by 47.6% in the 1st quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 44,564 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,144,000 after acquiring an additional 14,364 shares in the last quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in Universal Technical Institute during the 1st quarter valued at about $1,226,000. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. increased its holdings in shares of Universal Technical Institute by 23.2% in the 1st quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 27,688 shares of the company’s stock valued at $711,000 after purchasing an additional 5,216 shares during the period. NewEdge Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Universal Technical Institute in the 1st quarter valued at about $57,000. Finally, UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC lifted its position in shares of Universal Technical Institute by 13.4% in the first quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 84,223 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,163,000 after purchasing an additional 9,951 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds 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.