Universal Technical Institute (NYSE:UTI) Trading 11.4% Higher – Here’s What Happened

08 Jan 2026, 04:48 by Kim Johansen · The Markets Daily

Universal Technical Institute Inc (NYSE:UTI – Get Free Report)’s share price rose 11.4% during trading on Monday . The stock traded as high as $27.84 and last traded at $27.68. Approximately 348,736 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 37% from the average daily volume of 556,612 shares. The stock had previously closed at $24.84.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages have issued reports on UTI. Zacks Research lowered shares of Universal Technical Institute from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research note on Monday, October 6th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Universal Technical Institute in a report on Monday, December 29th. Rosenblatt Securities restated a “buy” rating and issued a $36.00 target price on shares of Universal Technical Institute in a research note on Thursday, November 20th. 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. Finally, Wall Street Zen downgraded Universal Technical Institute from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Sunday, September 21st. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have given a Buy rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $35.83.

Get Our Latest Report on Universal Technical Institute

Universal Technical Institute Stock Down 0.5%

The company has a quick ratio of 1.07, a current ratio of 1.07 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.26. The company has a market capitalization of $1.49 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.98, a P/E/G ratio of 2.40 and a beta of 1.37. The business’s 50-day moving average is $26.56 and its 200-day moving average is $28.95.

Universal Technical Institute (NYSE:UTI – Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, November 19th. The company reported $0.34 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.26 by $0.08. Universal Technical Institute had a return on equity of 20.85% and a net margin of 7.54%.The business had revenue of $222.44 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $219.33 million. Universal Technical Institute has set its FY 2026 guidance at 0.710-0.800 EPS. 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 news, Director Coliseum Capital Management, L acquired 191,830 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, December 5th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $25.38 per share, with a total value of $4,868,645.40. Following the purchase, the director directly owned 3,971,440 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $100,795,147.20. This trade represents a 5.08% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. In the last 90 days, insiders purchased 1,255,173 shares of company stock valued at $30,812,798. Corporate insiders own 15.10% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Universal Technical Institute

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its holdings in Universal Technical Institute by 4.3% in the third quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 3,456,452 shares of the company’s stock valued at $112,508,000 after buying an additional 141,426 shares in the last quarter. Wasatch Advisors LP grew its position in shares of Universal Technical Institute by 22.5% during the 3rd quarter. Wasatch Advisors LP now owns 2,361,019 shares of the company’s stock valued at $76,851,000 after acquiring an additional 433,824 shares during the period. Congress Asset Management Co. increased its stake in shares of Universal Technical Institute by 11.2% in the 3rd quarter. Congress Asset Management Co. now owns 2,076,255 shares of the company’s stock valued at $67,582,000 after purchasing an additional 209,476 shares in the last quarter. American Century Companies Inc. raised its holdings in Universal Technical Institute by 1.7% in the 3rd quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 1,580,224 shares of the company’s stock worth $51,436,000 after purchasing an additional 26,025 shares during the period. Finally, Hood River Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in Universal Technical Institute by 35.2% in the 2nd quarter. Hood River Capital Management LLC now owns 1,380,785 shares of the company’s stock worth $46,795,000 after purchasing an additional 359,193 shares during the period. 75.67% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.