Universal Technical Institute (NYSE:UTI) Shares Gap Up – Time to Buy?

Universal Technical Institute Inc (NYSE:UTI)’s stock price gapped up before the market opened on Friday . The stock had previously closed at $36.60, but opened at $39.54. Universal Technical Institute shares last traded at $39.4250, with a volume of 271,186 shares traded.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have recently commented on UTI shares. Barrington Research boosted their target price on shares of Universal Technical Institute from $36.00 to $42.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, May 7th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Universal Technical Institute from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, March 7th. Griffin Securities set a $49.00 target price on shares of Universal Technical Institute in a research report on Thursday, April 30th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Universal Technical Institute in a research report on Wednesday, May 6th. Finally, B. Riley Financial reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Universal Technical Institute in a research report on Thursday, April 30th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $44.25.

Universal Technical Institute Stock Up 8.8%

The company has a current ratio of 1.17, a quick ratio of 1.17 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $36.91 and its 200-day simple moving average is $31.23. The firm has a market capitalization of $2.19 billion, a P/E ratio of 51.74, a P/E/G ratio of 3.25 and a beta of 1.28.

Universal Technical Institute (NYSE:UTI) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, May 6th. The company reported $0.01 earnings per share for the quarter. The firm had revenue of $221.40 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $221.61 million. Universal Technical Institute had a net margin of 4.91% and a return on equity of 13.02%. As a group, research analysts predict that Universal Technical Institute Inc will post 0.76 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Universal Technical Institute

In other Universal Technical Institute news, Director Shannon Lei Okinaka sold 10,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, March 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $34.74, for a total value of $347,400.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 19,808 shares in the company, valued at $688,129.92. The trade was a 33.55% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, EVP Sherrell Smith sold 30,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $36.99, for a total transaction of $1,109,700.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 129,375 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,785,581.25. The trade was a 18.82% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 159,211 shares of company stock valued at $5,744,337. Corporate insiders own 9.80% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. purchased a new position in Universal Technical Institute in the second quarter valued at about $27,000. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. boosted its holdings in Universal Technical Institute by 543.5% in the 1st quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 888 shares of the company’s stock worth $32,000 after buying an additional 750 shares during the period. Clearstead Advisors LLC grew its stake in Universal Technical Institute by 187.5% in the 4th quarter. Clearstead Advisors LLC now owns 1,446 shares of the company’s stock valued at $38,000 after buying an additional 943 shares in the last quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Universal Technical Institute in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $57,000. Finally, State of Alaska Department of Revenue bought a new stake in Universal Technical Institute during the 3rd quarter valued at $92,000. 75.67% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Universal Technical Institute Company Profile

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.