Thompson Davis & CO. Inc. Takes Position in Universal Technical Institute, Inc. (NYSE:UTI)

Thompson Davis & CO. Inc. bought a new position in shares of Universal Technical Institute, Inc. (NYSE:UTI) during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund bought 11,425 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $143,000.

Other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. International Assets Investment Management LLC raised 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 acquiring an additional 2,880 shares in the last quarter. Bfsg LLC bought a new position in shares of Universal Technical Institute during the fourth quarter worth about $102,000. SG Americas Securities LLC acquired a new position in Universal Technical Institute in the third quarter worth about $104,000. Brandywine Global Investment Management LLC grew its stake in Universal Technical Institute by 8.3% in the third quarter. Brandywine Global Investment Management LLC now owns 15,540 shares of the company’s stock worth $130,000 after purchasing an additional 1,190 shares in the last quarter. Finally, 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. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 75.67% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity at Universal Technical Institute

In related news, Director Loretta Lydia Sanchez sold 8,719 shares of Universal Technical Institute stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 26th. The shares were 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 $301,400. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. 27.60% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Universal Technical Institute Stock Performance

Shares of UTI stock traded down $0.30 during trading hours on Tuesday, reaching $15.21. The stock had a trading volume of 743,869 shares, compared to its average volume of 598,676. The firm has a market capitalization of $518.36 million, a PE ratio of 58.54, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.44 and a beta of 1.20. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $14.92 and a 200-day simple moving average of $12.95. Universal Technical Institute, Inc. has a twelve month low of $5.63 and a twelve month high of $16.37. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72, a current ratio of 1.09 and a quick ratio of 1.09.

Universal Technical Institute (NYSE:UTI) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 7th. The company reported $0.17 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.06 by $0.11. The company 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, equities analysts forecast that Universal Technical Institute, Inc. will post 0.7 earnings per share for the current year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

UTI has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Rosenblatt Securities reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $18.00 target price on shares of Universal Technical Institute in a report on Monday. StockNews.com cut Universal Technical Institute from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 27th. Northland Securities started coverage on shares of Universal Technical Institute in a research note on Wednesday, January 10th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $16.00 target price for the company. Barrington Research reissued an “outperform” rating and set a $18.00 target price on shares of Universal Technical Institute in a report on Tuesday, April 23rd. Finally, TheStreet raised shares of Universal Technical Institute from a “c+” rating to a “b” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 1st. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $15.40.

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.