Universal Technical Institute (NYSE:UTI) Shares Gap Up on Insider Buying Activity

Universal Technical Institute Inc (NYSE:UTI) gapped up prior to trading on Thursday after an insider bought additional shares in the company. The stock had previously closed at $25.01, but opened at $26.46. Universal Technical Institute shares last traded at $25.7270, with a volume of 237,667 shares changing hands.

Specifically, Director Coliseum Capital Management, L acquired 241,087 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, December 1st. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $23.79 per share, with a total value of $5,735,459.73. Following the acquisition, the director owned 2,957,354 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $70,355,451.66. This trade represents a 8.88% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, Director Coliseum Capital Management, L bought 467,020 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, December 2nd. The shares were bought at an average price of $24.40 per share, with a total value of $11,395,288.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 3,424,374 shares in the company, valued at approximately $83,554,725.60. This trade represents a 15.79% increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase is available in the SEC filing.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts recently issued reports on the company. Zacks Research cut Universal Technical Institute from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research note on Monday, October 6th. Barrington Research reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $36.00 price target on shares of Universal Technical Institute in a research report on Thursday, November 20th. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Universal Technical Institute from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Sunday, September 21st. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Universal Technical Institute in a research report on Monday. Finally, Rosenblatt Securities restated a “buy” rating and set a $36.00 target price on shares of Universal Technical Institute in a report on Thursday, November 20th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have issued a Buy rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Universal Technical Institute currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $35.83.

Universal Technical Institute Stock Up 3.6%

The company has a current ratio of 1.07, a quick ratio of 1.07 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.83. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $29.39 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $30.39. The company has a market capitalization of $1.41 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.61, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.09 and a beta of 1.37.

Universal Technical Institute (NYSE:UTI) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, November 19th. The company reported $0.34 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.26 by $0.08. The firm had revenue of $222.44 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $219.33 million. Universal Technical Institute had a return on equity of 25.65% and a net margin of 7.54%.Universal Technical Institute has set its FY 2026 guidance at 0.710-0.800 EPS. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Universal Technical Institute Inc will post 1 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Universal Technical Institute

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in UTI. Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Universal Technical Institute in the second quarter valued at $27,000. Penserra Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Universal Technical Institute during the 2nd quarter worth about $28,000. KBC Group NV acquired a new position in Universal Technical Institute in the 2nd quarter valued at about $34,000. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. raised its holdings in Universal Technical Institute by 17,142.9% in the 2nd quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 1,207 shares of the company’s stock valued at $41,000 after acquiring an additional 1,200 shares during the period. Finally, NewEdge Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Universal Technical Institute during the first quarter worth approximately $57,000. 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.