Universal Technical Institute (NYSE:UTI) Shares Gap Down Following Analyst Downgrade

Posted by on Aug 6th, 2026

Universal Technical Institute Inc (NYSE:UTI – Get Free Report)’s stock price gapped down prior to trading on Thursday after B. Riley Financial lowered their price target on the stock from $49.00 to $48.00. The stock had previously closed at $42.37, but opened at $31.05. B. Riley Financial currently has a buy rating on the stock. Universal Technical Institute shares last traded at $27.4720, with a volume of 710,574 shares changing hands.

Several other equities analysts have also recently issued reports on the company. Weiss Ratings upgraded Universal Technical Institute from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 28th. Truist Financial raised their price target on Universal Technical Institute from $40.00 to $47.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, June 29th. Barrington Research lifted their price target on Universal Technical Institute from $36.00 to $42.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, May 7th. Rosenblatt Securities reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $45.00 price objective on shares of Universal Technical Institute in a report on Thursday. Finally, Griffin Securities set a $49.00 price objective on Universal Technical Institute in a research report on Thursday, April 30th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Universal Technical Institute currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $45.33.

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Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, Director Coliseum Capital Management, L sold 3,000,000 shares of Universal Technical Institute stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $41.40, for a total transaction of $124,200,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 971,440 shares in the company, valued at approximately $40,217,616. This trade represents a 75.54% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, CEO Jerome Alan Grant sold 94,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $41.40, for a total value of $3,912,300.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 335,715 shares in the company, valued at $13,898,601. This trade represents a 21.97% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold a total of 3,117,545 shares of company stock valued at $128,998,420 in the last 90 days. 9.80% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Trending Headlines about Universal Technical Institute

Here are the key news stories impacting Universal Technical Institute this week:

  • Positive Sentiment: UTI reported fiscal third-quarter adjusted EPS of $0.04, exceeding the $0.02 analyst consensus. New student start growth also surpassed expectations, supported by strong demand and continued momentum at newer campuses. Universal Technical Institute Reports Fiscal Year 2026 Third Quarter Results
  • Positive Sentiment: The company plans to add 20% more high-school admissions staff, a move intended to expand its student pipeline. UTI also reaffirmed its longer-term growth strategy and expects fiscal 2026 revenue of $893 million to $900 million. UTI Anticipates Fiscal 2026 Revenue While Adding Admissions Staff
  • Positive Sentiment: Rosenblatt Securities reaffirmed its “buy” rating with a $45 price target, while B. Riley maintained a “buy” rating and set a $48 target. Both targets imply substantial upside from recent trading levels. Analyst Rating Updates
  • Neutral Sentiment: UTI opened its first Georgia campus in Atlanta to address skilled-labor shortages, supporting geographic expansion but adding near-term operating costs as the company builds enrollment. UTI Opens First Georgia Campus
  • Negative Sentiment: Fiscal third-quarter revenue was $218.91 million, slightly below the $220.40 million consensus estimate. More importantly, the fiscal 2026 revenue outlook of $893 million to $900 million is below analysts’ $910.3 million expectation, signaling slower near-term growth than investors anticipated. Universal Technical Institute Reports Mixed Q3 Results
  • Negative Sentiment: B. Riley lowered its price target from $49 to $48. Although the firm retained its buy rating, the target reduction reinforces investor concerns about the revised revenue outlook.

Institutional Trading of Universal Technical Institute

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of UTI. Coliseum Capital Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Universal Technical Institute by 46.2% in the 4th quarter. Coliseum Capital Management LLC now owns 3,971,440 shares of the company’s stock worth $103,774,000 after buying an additional 1,255,173 shares in the last quarter. Conestoga Capital Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Universal Technical Institute by 1,366.0% during the 1st quarter. Conestoga Capital Advisors LLC now owns 1,292,125 shares of the company’s stock valued at $46,646,000 after acquiring an additional 1,203,985 shares in the last quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans increased its holdings in Universal Technical Institute by 132.9% during the 4th quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans now owns 1,998,354 shares of the company’s stock valued at $52,217,000 after acquiring an additional 1,140,465 shares in the last quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD raised its position in Universal Technical Institute by 65.2% during the fourth quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 1,599,534 shares of the company’s stock worth $41,797,000 after acquiring an additional 631,070 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Nuveen LLC raised its position in Universal Technical Institute by 168.8% during the fourth quarter. Nuveen LLC now owns 995,323 shares of the company’s stock worth $26,008,000 after acquiring an additional 625,102 shares during the last quarter. 75.67% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Universal Technical Institute Stock Down 27.9%

The company has a market cap of $1.68 billion, a PE ratio of 38.68, a P/E/G ratio of 3.70 and a beta of 1.25. The company has a quick ratio of 1.17, a current ratio of 1.17 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $41.84 and its 200-day simple moving average is $37.03.

Universal Technical Institute (NYSE:UTI – Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 5th. The company reported $0.04 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.02 by $0.02. Universal Technical Institute had a net margin of 4.91% and a return on equity of 13.02%. The business had revenue of $218.91 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $220.40 million. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Universal Technical Institute Inc will post 0.76 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Universal Technical Institute Company Profile

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Universal Technical Institute, Inc (NYSE: UTI) is a leading provider of post-secondary education for students pursuing careers as professional automotive, diesel, collision repair, motorcycle and marine technicians, as well as in welding and CNC machining. The company designs and delivers hands-on training through a blend of classroom instruction and experiential lab work, preparing graduates for entry-level positions in the transportation, manufacturing and energy sectors. UTI’s curriculum emphasizes industry-recognized credentials and proprietary coursework developed in collaboration with original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to ensure alignment with evolving employer needs.

Through a network of campus locations across the United States and select centers in Canada, Universal Technical Institute offers diploma and certificate programs ranging from 36 to 74 weeks in length.

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