Analysts Set Universal Technical Institute, Inc. (NYSE:UTI) Target Price at $32.17

Shares of Universal Technical Institute, Inc. (NYSE:UTI) have been assigned an average recommendation of “Buy” from the six research firms that are presently covering the firm, Marketbeat.com reports. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating on the company. The average 1-year price target among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is $32.17.

A number of brokerages have recently weighed in on UTI. Lake Street Capital boosted their price objective 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. Northland Securities boosted their price target on shares of Universal Technical Institute from $30.00 to $34.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 6th. Barrington Research upped their price target on shares of Universal Technical Institute from $30.00 to $35.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 6th. B. Riley started coverage on Universal Technical Institute in a report on Friday, March 28th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $31.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, Rosenblatt Securities boosted their price objective on Universal Technical Institute from $30.00 to $36.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 6th.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Universal Technical Institute news, EVP Sherrell Smith sold 39,446 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $27.85, for a total transaction of $1,098,571.10. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 177,912 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,954,849.20. This trade represents a 18.15 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director George W. Brochick sold 8,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction 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 sale, the director now owns 34,917 shares in the company, valued at approximately $963,360.03. This trade represents a 18.64 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 94,427 shares of company stock valued at $2,575,729 over the last quarter. 15.10% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of UTI. Covestor Ltd grew its holdings in Universal Technical Institute by 24.4% in the fourth quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 1,977 shares of the company’s stock worth $51,000 after purchasing an additional 388 shares during the period. Independent Advisor Alliance grew its stake in shares of Universal Technical Institute by 4.4% in the 4th quarter. Independent Advisor Alliance now owns 12,157 shares of the company’s stock worth $313,000 after buying an additional 507 shares during the last quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. increased its position in Universal Technical Institute by 3.6% during the 4th quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 22,472 shares of the company’s stock valued at $578,000 after buying an additional 777 shares in the last quarter. MetLife Investment Management LLC increased its position in Universal Technical Institute by 5.7% during the 4th quarter. MetLife Investment Management LLC now owns 23,962 shares of the company’s stock valued at $616,000 after buying an additional 1,294 shares in the last quarter. Finally, BNP Paribas Financial Markets raised its stake in Universal Technical Institute by 9.5% during the third quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 23,928 shares of the company’s stock valued at $389,000 after buying an additional 2,083 shares during the last quarter. 75.67% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Universal Technical Institute Price Performance

Universal Technical Institute stock opened at $28.09 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $1.53 billion, a P/E ratio of 28.96, a P/E/G ratio of 1.92 and a beta of 1.48. Universal Technical Institute has a 52 week low of $13.66 and a 52 week high of $30.56. The company has a quick ratio of 1.14, a current ratio of 1.14 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $27.13 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $24.10.

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

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.