Universal Technical Institute (NYSE:UTI) Downgraded by StockNews.com to Hold

Universal Technical Institute (NYSE:UTI) was downgraded by StockNews.com from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a note issued to investors on Thursday.

Several other brokerages also recently commented on UTI. Truist Financial started coverage on shares of Universal Technical Institute in a report on Thursday. They issued a “buy” rating and a $22.00 target price on the stock. Rosenblatt Securities reissued a “buy” rating and set a $18.00 price objective on shares of Universal Technical Institute in a research report on Monday, April 29th. Northland Securities reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and issued a $18.00 target price on shares of Universal Technical Institute in a report on Friday, July 12th. B. Riley reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $22.00 price target (up from $20.00) on shares of Universal Technical Institute in a report on Thursday, May 30th. Finally, Barrington Research increased their price objective on Universal Technical Institute from $20.00 to $22.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Universal Technical Institute has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $18.83.

Universal Technical Institute Stock Down 0.8 %

Shares of UTI traded down $0.16 during trading hours on Thursday, hitting $18.69. 625,606 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 617,083. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60, a quick ratio of 1.02 and a current ratio of 1.02. The company has a market cap of $1.01 billion, a PE ratio of 51.92, a PEG ratio of 1.78 and a beta of 1.26. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $15.74 and its 200-day moving average is $15.13. Universal Technical Institute has a 52 week low of $7.06 and a 52 week high of $19.40.

Universal Technical Institute (NYSE:UTI) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, May 8th. The company reported $0.14 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.15 by ($0.01). Universal Technical Institute had a return on equity of 10.55% and a net margin of 2.97%. The company had revenue of $184.18 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $177.01 million. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Universal Technical Institute will post 0.71 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Universal Technical Institute

In other Universal Technical Institute news, Director Loretta Lydia Sanchez sold 6,288 shares of Universal Technical Institute stock in a transaction on Friday, May 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $15.22, for a total transaction of $95,703.36. Following the sale, the director now owns 13,712 shares in the company, valued at $208,696.64. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. 27.60% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Washington University bought a new position in shares of Universal Technical Institute during the fourth quarter valued at $35,886,000. Russell Investments Group Ltd. boosted its position in Universal Technical Institute by 341.1% in the first quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 334,332 shares of the company’s stock valued at $5,329,000 after buying an additional 258,532 shares in the last quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC grew its stake in Universal Technical Institute by 297.3% during the fourth quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 6,186 shares of the company’s stock worth $77,000 after buying an additional 4,629 shares during the last quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Universal Technical Institute by 2,058.7% during the first quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC now owns 298,849 shares of the company’s stock worth $4,763,000 after buying an additional 285,005 shares in the last quarter. Finally, First Eagle Investment Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Universal Technical Institute by 2.6% in the fourth quarter. First Eagle Investment Management LLC now owns 437,677 shares of the company’s stock valued at $5,480,000 after acquiring an additional 11,286 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 75.67% of the company’s stock.

Universal Technical Institute Company Profile

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.