Universal Technical Institute, Inc. (NYSE:UTI) Given Consensus Recommendation of “Buy” by Brokerages

Universal Technical Institute, Inc. (NYSE:UTI) has been given a consensus rating of “Buy” by the six analysts that are currently covering the company, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating. The average 12 month price objective among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is $31.17.

A number of research analysts have recently commented on UTI shares. Northland Securities lifted their price objective on shares of Universal Technical Institute from $30.00 to $34.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 6th. Rosenblatt Securities lifted their target price on shares of Universal Technical Institute from $30.00 to $36.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, February 6th. Lake Street Capital lifted their target price on shares of Universal Technical Institute from $22.00 to $31.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, February 6th. Finally, Barrington Research lifted their target price on shares of Universal Technical Institute from $30.00 to $35.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, February 6th.

Universal Technical Institute Stock Down 4.6 %

Shares of UTI stock opened at $26.52 on Monday. The company has a current ratio of 1.14, a quick ratio of 1.14 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42. Universal Technical Institute has a 1 year low of $13.66 and a 1 year high of $30.56. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $27.23 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $22.85. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.44 billion, a P/E ratio of 27.34, a PEG ratio of 1.92 and a beta of 1.49.

Universal Technical Institute (NYSE:UTI) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The company reported $0.40 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.18 by $0.22. Universal Technical Institute had a net margin of 7.08% and a return on equity of 21.25%. On average, equities analysts predict that Universal Technical Institute will post 1 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Universal Technical Institute

In other news, EVP Sherrell Smith sold 39,446 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $27.85, for a total value of $1,098,571.10. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 177,912 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,954,849.20. The trade was a 18.15 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, Director George W. Brochick sold 8,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $27.59, for a total transaction of $220,720.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 34,917 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $963,360.03. The trade was a 18.64 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 84,219 shares of company stock valued at $2,300,395 in the last quarter. Company insiders own 15.10% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Universal Technical Institute

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. State Street Corp increased its position in Universal Technical Institute by 3.6% during the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 856,091 shares of the company’s stock worth $13,920,000 after purchasing an additional 29,461 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its position in Universal Technical Institute by 9.8% during the 3rd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 952,799 shares of the company’s stock worth $15,496,000 after purchasing an additional 85,417 shares in the last quarter. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. increased its position in Universal Technical Institute by 362.4% during the 4th quarter. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. now owns 376,929 shares of the company’s stock worth $9,691,000 after purchasing an additional 295,408 shares in the last quarter. Rhumbline Advisers increased its position in Universal Technical Institute by 37.4% during the 4th quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 71,407 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,836,000 after purchasing an additional 19,453 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Guardian Wealth Management Inc. increased its position in Universal Technical Institute by 5,347.0% during the 3rd quarter. Guardian Wealth Management Inc. now owns 86,553 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,407,000 after purchasing an additional 84,964 shares in the last quarter. 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.