Universal Technical Institute (NYSE:UTI) Sees Strong Trading Volume

Universal Technical Institute, Inc. (NYSE:UTI) saw an uptick in trading volume on Friday . 714,746 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 18% from the previous session’s volume of 604,680 shares.The stock last traded at $15.92 and had previously closed at $15.41.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

UTI has been the subject of a number of research reports. Barrington Research reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $18.00 target price on shares of Universal Technical Institute in a report on Tuesday, April 23rd. Rosenblatt Securities reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $18.00 price objective on shares of Universal Technical Institute in a research note on Monday, April 29th. StockNews.com downgraded shares of Universal Technical Institute from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 27th. Northland Securities initiated coverage on shares of Universal Technical Institute in a research report on Wednesday, January 10th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $16.00 price target for the company. Finally, TheStreet upgraded Universal Technical Institute from a “c+” rating to a “b” rating in a report on Thursday, February 1st. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $15.40.

Universal Technical Institute Stock Up 1.3 %

The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $14.96 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $13.08. The firm has a market capitalization of $531.99 million, a PE ratio of 60.04, a P/E/G ratio of 1.46 and a beta of 1.22. The company has a quick ratio of 1.09, a current ratio of 1.09 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72.

Universal Technical Institute (NYSE:UTI) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 7th. The company reported $0.17 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.06 by $0.11. The firm had revenue of $174.70 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $168.19 million. Universal Technical Institute had a net margin of 2.41% and a return on equity of 9.25%. As a group, research analysts forecast that Universal Technical Institute, Inc. will post 0.7 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Universal Technical Institute

In other Universal Technical Institute news, Director Loretta Lydia Sanchez sold 8,719 shares of Universal Technical Institute stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $15.07, for a total transaction of $131,395.33. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 20,000 shares in the company, valued at approximately $301,400. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. 27.60% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of Universal Technical Institute

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in UTI. Brandywine Global Investment Management LLC grew its holdings in Universal Technical Institute by 8.3% during the 3rd quarter. Brandywine Global Investment Management LLC now owns 15,540 shares of the company’s stock worth $130,000 after acquiring an additional 1,190 shares in the last quarter. Kennedy Capital Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Universal Technical Institute by 2.4% in the 3rd quarter. Kennedy Capital Management LLC now owns 74,516 shares of the company’s stock valued at $624,000 after purchasing an additional 1,751 shares in the last quarter. New York State Common Retirement Fund increased its holdings in Universal Technical Institute by 28.0% in the fourth quarter. New York State Common Retirement Fund now owns 10,493 shares of the company’s stock valued at $131,000 after buying an additional 2,296 shares during the last quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC increased its holdings in Universal Technical Institute by 1,152.0% in the fourth quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC now owns 3,130 shares of the company’s stock valued at $39,000 after buying an additional 2,880 shares during the last quarter. Finally, SG Americas Securities LLC raised its stake in Universal Technical Institute by 28.8% during the fourth quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 15,929 shares of the company’s stock valued at $199,000 after buying an additional 3,557 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 75.67% of the company’s stock.

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.