Barrington Research Boosts Universal Technical Institute (NYSE:UTI) Price Target to $22.00

Universal Technical Institute (NYSE:UTI) had its price objective raised by Barrington Research from $20.00 to $22.00 in a report published on Wednesday morning, Benzinga reports. Barrington Research currently has an outperform rating on the stock.

Other equities analysts have also issued research reports about the company. StockNews.com upgraded Universal Technical Institute from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note on Wednesday, June 26th. Northland Securities restated an outperform rating and issued a $18.00 price objective on shares of Universal Technical Institute in a research note on Friday, July 12th. Rosenblatt Securities reaffirmed a buy rating and set a $18.00 target price on shares of Universal Technical Institute in a report on Monday, April 29th. Finally, B. Riley reiterated a buy rating and issued a $22.00 price target (up previously from $20.00) on shares of Universal Technical Institute in a report on Thursday, May 30th. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to 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 Performance

UTI opened at $19.43 on Wednesday. The company has a market cap of $1.05 billion, a P/E ratio of 53.97, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.77 and a beta of 1.26. The company has a quick ratio of 1.02, a current ratio of 1.02 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $15.83 and its 200-day moving average price is $15.18. Universal Technical Institute has a 52-week low of $7.06 and a 52-week high of $19.50.

Universal Technical Institute (NYSE:UTI) last issued its quarterly 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). The company had revenue of $184.18 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $177.01 million. Universal Technical Institute had a net margin of 2.97% and a return on equity of 10.55%. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Universal Technical Institute will post 0.71 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Loretta Lydia Sanchez sold 6,288 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $15.22, for a total transaction of $95,703.36. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 13,712 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $208,696.64. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Insiders own 27.60% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Universal Technical Institute

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Washington University purchased a new position in Universal Technical Institute in the fourth quarter valued at $35,886,000. Russell Investments Group Ltd. increased its stake in shares of Universal Technical Institute by 341.1% in the 1st quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 334,332 shares of the company’s stock valued at $5,329,000 after purchasing an additional 258,532 shares in the last quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC boosted its position 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 purchasing an additional 4,629 shares in the last quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC boosted its position in 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 purchasing an additional 285,005 shares in the last quarter. Finally, First Eagle Investment Management LLC grew its holdings in 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 purchasing an additional 11,286 shares during the period. 75.67% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.