Boothbay Fund Management LLC Purchases 27,276 Shares of Universal Technical Institute, Inc. (NYSE:UTI)

Boothbay Fund Management LLC increased its position in shares of Universal Technical Institute, Inc. (NYSE:UTI) by 70.1% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 66,162 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 27,276 shares during the period. Boothbay Fund Management LLC owned approximately 0.12% of Universal Technical Institute worth $1,701,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of UTI. Covestor Ltd lifted its holdings in shares of Universal Technical Institute by 24.4% during the 4th quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 1,977 shares of the company’s stock worth $51,000 after acquiring an additional 388 shares during the last quarter. Independent Advisor Alliance raised its position in Universal Technical Institute by 4.4% during the fourth quarter. Independent Advisor Alliance now owns 12,157 shares of the company’s stock valued at $313,000 after purchasing an additional 507 shares in the last quarter. MetLife Investment Management LLC lifted its stake in Universal Technical Institute by 5.7% during the fourth quarter. MetLife Investment Management LLC now owns 23,962 shares of the company’s stock worth $616,000 after purchasing an additional 1,294 shares during the last quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Universal Technical Institute by 9.6% in the 4th quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 26,623 shares of the company’s stock worth $684,000 after purchasing an additional 2,335 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Arcadia Investment Management Corp MI bought a new position in shares of Universal Technical Institute during the 4th quarter valued at about $79,000. 75.67% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Universal Technical Institute Price Performance

UTI stock opened at $27.94 on Tuesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.52 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.80, a PEG ratio of 1.92 and a beta of 1.48. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $26.95 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $24.90. The company has a current ratio of 1.14, a quick ratio of 1.14 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42. Universal Technical Institute, Inc. has a 12-month low of $13.66 and a 12-month high of $30.56.

Universal Technical Institute (NYSE:UTI) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The company reported $0.40 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.18 by $0.22. Universal Technical Institute had a return on equity of 21.25% and a net margin of 7.08%. As a group, equities analysts predict that Universal Technical Institute, Inc. will post 1 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Universal Technical Institute news, EVP Sherrell Smith sold 39,446 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $27.85, for a total value of $1,098,571.10. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 177,912 shares in the company, valued at $4,954,849.20. This trade represents a 18.15 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, Director George W. Brochick sold 8,000 shares of Universal Technical Institute stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $27.59, for a total value of $220,720.00. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 34,917 shares in the company, valued at approximately $963,360.03. The trade was a 18.64 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 94,524 shares of company stock valued at $2,578,450 over the last quarter. 15.10% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

UTI has been the subject of several research reports. Rosenblatt Securities upped their target price on Universal Technical Institute from $30.00 to $36.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 6th. Lake Street Capital upped their price objective on shares of Universal Technical Institute from $22.00 to $31.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 6th. Northland Securities lifted their target price on shares of Universal Technical Institute from $30.00 to $34.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 6th. B. Riley began coverage on shares of Universal Technical Institute in a research report on Friday, March 28th. They set a “buy” rating and a $31.00 price target for the company. Finally, Barrington Research reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $35.00 price objective on shares of Universal Technical Institute in a report on Thursday, April 17th. Six analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $32.17.

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.