Park West Asset Management LLC Sells 361,916 Shares of Universal Technical Institute, Inc. (NYSE:UTI)

Park West Asset Management LLC cut its holdings in Universal Technical Institute, Inc. (NYSE:UTI) by 16.6% in the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 1,813,478 shares of the company’s stock after selling 361,916 shares during the quarter. Universal Technical Institute accounts for 2.2% of Park West Asset Management LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 15th largest position. Park West Asset Management LLC owned about 0.05% of Universal Technical Institute worth $22,705,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. International Assets Investment Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of 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 purchasing an additional 2,880 shares in the last quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC grew its holdings in shares of Universal Technical Institute by 297.3% in the fourth quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 6,186 shares of the company’s stock valued at $77,000 after purchasing an additional 4,629 shares in the last quarter. AJOVista LLC purchased a new position in shares of Universal Technical Institute in the fourth quarter valued at $78,000. Bfsg LLC purchased a new position in Universal Technical Institute during the fourth quarter worth $102,000. Finally, New York State Common Retirement Fund boosted its stake in Universal Technical Institute by 28.0% during the fourth quarter. New York State Common Retirement Fund now owns 10,493 shares of the company’s stock worth $131,000 after buying an additional 2,296 shares during the period. 75.67% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Universal Technical Institute Trading Down 1.5 %

Shares of UTI traded down $0.21 during trading hours on Thursday, reaching $14.18. 425,136 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 623,333. The firm has a market cap of $762.62 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 39.36, a PEG ratio of 1.35 and a beta of 1.24. Universal Technical Institute, Inc. has a 12-month low of $6.34 and a 12-month high of $17.09. The company has a current ratio of 1.02, a quick ratio of 1.02 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60. The stock’s fifty day moving average price is $15.12 and its 200 day moving average price is $14.24.

Universal Technical Institute (NYSE:UTI) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 8th. The company reported $0.14 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.15 by ($0.01). The firm had revenue of $184.18 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $177.01 million. Universal Technical Institute had a net margin of 2.97% and a return on equity of 10.55%. Sell-side analysts forecast that Universal Technical Institute, Inc. will post 0.71 earnings per share for the current year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

UTI has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Rosenblatt Securities reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $18.00 price objective on shares of Universal Technical Institute in a research note on Monday, April 29th. StockNews.com raised shares of Universal Technical Institute from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, June 6th. B. Riley reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $22.00 price objective (up from $20.00) on shares of Universal Technical Institute in a research note on Thursday, May 30th. Finally, Barrington Research reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $20.00 price objective on shares of Universal Technical Institute in a research note on Tuesday, May 28th. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $17.40.

Insider Activity at Universal Technical Institute

In other Universal Technical Institute news, Director Loretta Lydia Sanchez sold 8,719 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $15.07, for a total value of $131,395.33. Following the sale, the director now owns 20,000 shares in the company, valued at approximately $301,400. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. 27.60% of the stock is owned by insiders.

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.