Teton Advisors Inc. Reduces Stock Position in Universal Technical Institute, Inc. (NYSE:UTI)

Teton Advisors Inc. lowered its stake in shares of Universal Technical Institute, Inc. (NYSE:UTI) by 14.2% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 81,500 shares of the company’s stock after selling 13,500 shares during the period. Teton Advisors Inc. owned 0.24% of Universal Technical Institute worth $1,020,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in UTI. SG Americas Securities LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Universal Technical Institute during the third quarter worth $104,000. Victory Capital Management Inc. lifted its position in shares of Universal Technical Institute by 1.6% during the third quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 277,720 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,327,000 after acquiring an additional 4,503 shares in the last quarter. Premier Fund Managers Ltd purchased a new stake in shares of Universal Technical Institute during the third quarter worth $246,000. First Eagle Investment Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Universal Technical Institute by 15.0% during the third quarter. First Eagle Investment Management LLC now owns 426,391 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,573,000 after acquiring an additional 55,608 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Pacific Ridge Capital Partners LLC lifted its position in shares of Universal Technical Institute by 6.6% during the third quarter. Pacific Ridge Capital Partners LLC now owns 627,893 shares of the company’s stock worth $5,262,000 after acquiring an additional 38,630 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 75.67% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity at Universal Technical Institute

In other news, Director Loretta Lydia Sanchez sold 8,719 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $15.07, for a total transaction of $131,395.33. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 20,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $301,400. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. 27.60% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms have issued reports on UTI. TheStreet upgraded Universal Technical Institute from a “c+” rating to a “b” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 1st. Rosenblatt Securities reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $18.00 price target on shares of Universal Technical Institute in a report on Monday. StockNews.com cut shares of Universal Technical Institute from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, March 27th. Barrington Research reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and issued a $18.00 price target on shares of Universal Technical Institute in a report on Tuesday, April 23rd. Finally, Northland Securities began coverage on shares of Universal Technical Institute in a report on Wednesday, January 10th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $16.00 price target on the stock. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $15.40.

Universal Technical Institute Price Performance

UTI traded up $0.12 during trading on Thursday, reaching $15.41. The stock had a trading volume of 1,158,497 shares, compared to its average volume of 604,034. The stock has a market cap of $525.17 million, a PE ratio of 58.77, a PEG ratio of 1.44 and a beta of 1.22. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72, a quick ratio of 1.09 and a current ratio of 1.09. Universal Technical Institute, Inc. has a one year low of $5.63 and a one year high of $16.37. The business has a 50-day moving average of $14.94 and a 200-day moving average of $13.02.

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

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.