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UTIUniversal Technical Institute ISell4.4·$25.15-2.67%
SellModerate Confidence
Investment thesis

Universal Technical Institute has beaten earnings estimates in 3 of 4 recent quarters with an average positive surprise of 57% where estimates existed, and shows solid technical support, but a forward price-to-earnings ratio of 39.5, heavy dependence on Title IV federal education funding at 78% of revenue, and failed momentum and asymmetry screens combine to make the near-term setup unfavorable.

Thesis pillars

  • Technical Support StructureDeteriorating
  • Earnings Beat HistoryStable
  • Title Iv Regulatory ConcentrationStable
  • +1 more pillar — see the Why tab for full reasoning

Full reasoning →

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Universal Technical Institute I (UTI) Stock Analysis

SellVALUE-TRAP 2/5ShortModerate Confidence

Consumer Defensive · Education & Training Services

Sell if holding. Engine safety override at $25.15: Quality below floor (3.7 < 4.0) triggers a hard block regardless of the otherwise-positive setup — overall score 4.4/10 and A.R:R 3.0:1 is above the 1.5:1 BUY gate. Specifically: Below-average business quality; Negative price momentum; Below long-term trend.

Universal Technical Institute runs 32 campuses across 12 states through two divisions: Universal Technical Institute (15 campuses for transportation, skilled trades, and energy) and Concorde Career Colleges (17 campuses for healthcare). Average annual revenue per UTI student was... Read more

$25.15+44.7% A.UpsideScore 4.4/10#18 of 19 Education & Training Services
QualityF-score6 / 9FCF yield-0.32%
Stop $24.02Target $36.39(analyst − 13%)A.R:R 3.0:1
Analyst target$41.83+66.3%6 analysts
$36.39our TP
$25.15price
$41.83mean
$48

Sell if holding. Engine safety override at $25.15: Quality below floor (3.7 < 4.0) triggers a hard block regardless of the otherwise-positive setup — overall score 4.4/10 and A.R:R 3.0:1 is above the 1.5:1 BUY gate. Specifically: Below-average business quality; Negative price momentum; Below long-term trend. Chart setup: No clear chart pattern; technical signals are mixed. Score 4.4/10, moderate confidence.

Passes 6/8 gates (favorable risk/reward ratio, no SEC red flags, news events none recent, earnings proximity 94d clear, semi cycle peak clear, materials cycle peak clear). Fails on weak momentum and clean insider activity. Suitability: speculative.

10-K grounded · weekly refresh

About Universal Technical Institute I

About Universal Technical Institute I

Universal Technical Institute trained students across 32 campuses in 12 states during fiscal year 2025, operating through two divisions: the UTI division with 15 campuses delivering transportation, skilled trades, and energy programs, and Concorde Career Colleges with 17 campuses across 8 states and online offering allied health, nursing, and dental programs. Average annual revenue per UTI student reached roughly $35,100, net of institutional scholarships and grants, in fiscal 2025; federal Title IV Programs funded approximately 78% of revenues on a cash basis.

Universal Technical Institute earns tuition revenue from students enrolled in degree, diploma, and certificate programs ranging from 30 to 120 weeks in duration. UTI's tuition for fiscal 2025 ranged from roughly $18,000 for the 30-week Wind Power program to $69,000 for the 90-week Automotive and Diesel program; approximately 58% of active UTI students received UTI-funded scholarships or grants during fiscal 2025, with 49% on in-school payment plans and 21% using the company's proprietary loan program. Concorde students access healthcare programs in dental, nursing, medical assisting, pharmacy, and physical therapy fields, completing required clinical externship hours at affiliate partner facilities as part of their coursework. The company supplements tuition revenue with manufacturer-specific advanced training programs — including Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, and Tesla partnerships — partially subsidized by the manufacturers. Veterans' benefits programs such as the Post-9/11 GI Bill and VA Vocational Rehabilitation provide an additional funding source complementary to Title IV Programs.

Show full overview

Title IV Programs funded approximately 78% of revenues on a cash basis in fiscal 2025, and the July 4, 2025 signing of OBBBA introduced amendments to the Higher Education Act that condition program eligibility on earnings benchmarks — comparing graduates' median earnings to working adults with lesser credentials — and revised borrower-defense-to-repayment rules. Any institution failing the new earnings benchmarks could face loss of Title IV eligibility for specific programs, limiting the company's ability to enroll students in those programs. The Department of Education has not yet finalized implementing regulations for the new OBBBA provisions.

See also: Consumer Defensive · Education & Training Services

From Universal Technical Institute I's most recent 10-K filing, extracted June 10, 2026.

TrendMatrix Research · upcoming catalyst calendar

Upcoming dated catalysts

Wed, Nov 18, 202694d to earnings· next earnings call

Thesis

Rewards
No bull case signals
Risks
Concentration risk — Regulatory: Title IV Programs (78.0%)
Quality below floor (3.7 < 4.0)
Value-trap signals (2/5): High leverage (D/E 2.0), Material insider selling (3 sells, 0.09% of cap)

Key Metrics

P/E (TTM)41.2
P/E (Fwd)27.0
Mkt Cap$1.4B
EV/EBITDA19.1
Profit Mgn3.9%
ROE10.5%
Rev Growth7.2%
Beta1.24
DividendNone
Rating analysts10

Quality Signals

Piotroski F6/9MoatNarrow

Options Flow

P/C1.06bearish
IV70%elevated

Concentration Risks(10-K Item 1A)

  • HIGHregulatoryTitle IV Programs78%
    10-K Item 1A: 'Title IV Programs...from which we derived approximately 78% of our revenues, on a cash basis, in fiscal 2025'

Model-generated analysis — not investment advice. Not a registered investment advisor. Past performance does not guarantee future results.

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About TrendMatrix. TrendMatrix is a publisher of general securities research and market commentary. We publish on a regular schedule. All content is the same for every subscriber in a tier — we do not provide personalized investment advice and we do not take into account any individual subscriber's financial situation, investment objectives, risk tolerance, tax situation, or holdings.

Not investment advice. TrendMatrix is not a registered investment adviser. Our content is for informational and educational purposes only. Consult your own licensed investment adviser, broker, or tax professional before making any investment decision.

Conflicts and positions. The TrendMatrix editorial team frequently holds personal long-term positions in securities discussed. We disclose positions held at the time of publication on each piece. We maintain a trading-window policy: we do not initiate or close positions in the same direction as a TrendMatrix publication within 24 hours before or 72 hours after publication.

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Performance. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Performance figures reflect the published model only and do not reflect any individual subscriber's actual results.

Methodology · Editorial policy & full disclaimer

Rating Breakdown

4 floor-breakers

Growth below the gate floor. Component breakdown shows what dragged the score down.static

Earnings Growth
0.0
Revenue Growth
4.3

Price action weak — below key moving averages, no momentum carry. Needs a base before trend-continuation setups apply.static

Macd
0.0
Obv
1.0
Ma Position
2.2
Rsi
3.0
Volume
4.1
Capitulation risk (RSI 26, below 200MA)Volume distribution (falling OBV)Below 200-MA but MA still rising (+3.5%/30d) — pullback in uptrend, not confirmed weakness

Ranks in the bottom of its industry peers on the composite signal. Better names in the same sector exist.static

Quality Rank
2.3
Value Rank
2.5
Growth Rank
5.3

Quality below the gate floor. Component breakdown shows what dragged the score down.static

Fcf Quality
0.0
Operating Margin
0.8
Net Margin
1.9
Roa
2.3
Roe
3.5
Current Ratio
4.9
Moat
5.8
Piotroski F
6.7
Gross Margin
7.0
Earnings quality RED FLAG: -13% FCF/NI
GatesMomentum 2.1<4.5INSIDER 8.99%=EXTREMEA.R:R 3.0 ≥ 1.5No SEC red flagsNEWS EVENTS NONE RECENTEARNINGS PROXIMITY 94d clearSEMI CYCLE PEAK CLEARMATERIALS CYCLE PEAK CLEARSuitability: Speculative
RSI
26 · Oversold
20D MA 50D MA 200D MAGOLDEN CROSSSupport $24.76Resistance $43.61

Price Targets

$24
$36
A.Upside+44.7%
A.R:R3.0:1

Position Sizing

ConvictionNone
Suggested %0.5%
Max %1%
RegimeSteady

Risk Alerts

! Quality below floor (3.7 < 4.0)
! Value-trap signals (2/5): High leverage (D/E 2.0), Material insider selling (3 sells, 0.09% of cap)
! momentum at 2.1 (below the engine's 4.5 threshold)

Earnings

B
B
B
M
3/4 beats
Next Earnings2026-11-18 (94d)

Verdict History

reverse chrono — latest first
Loading history...
Verdicts are recorded on every nightly pipeline run. Rows capture transitions (verdict flips, score deltas ≥0.3, entry/TP/SL changes). Rows with a ▶ can be expanded to see the change reason. Aggregate cohort performance is tracked in the recommendation ledger.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is UTI stock a buy right now?

Sell if holding. Engine safety override at $25.15: Quality below floor (3.7 < 4.0) triggers a hard block regardless of the otherwise-positive setup — overall score 4.4/10 and A.R:R 3.0:1 is above the 1.5:1 BUY gate. Specifically: Below-average business quality; Negative price momentum; Below long-term trend. Chart setup: No clear chart pattern; technical signals are mixed. Prior stop was $24.02. Score 4.4/10, moderate confidence.

What is the UTI stock price target?

Take-profit target: $36.39 (+44.7% upside). Prior stop was $24.02. Stop-loss: $24.02.

What are the risks of investing in UTI?

Concentration risk — Regulatory: Title IV Programs (78.0%); Quality below floor (3.7 < 4.0); Value-trap signals (2/5): High leverage (D/E 2.0), Material insider selling (3 sells, 0.09% of cap).

Is UTI overvalued or undervalued?

Universal Technical Institute I trades at a P/E of 41.2 (forward 27.0). TrendMatrix value score: 5.3/10. Verdict: Sell.

What do analysts say about UTI?

10 analysts cover UTI with a consensus score of 4.1/5. Average price target: $42.

What does Universal Technical Institute I do?Universal Technical Institute runs 32 campuses across 12 states through two divisions: Universal Technical Institute...

Universal Technical Institute runs 32 campuses across 12 states through two divisions: Universal Technical Institute (15 campuses for transportation, skilled trades, and energy) and Concorde Career Colleges (17 campuses for healthcare). Average annual revenue per UTI student was roughly $35,100 in fiscal 2025; Title IV Programs funded approximately 78% of revenues on a cash basis, making Department of Education compliance central to operations.

Related stocks: TAL (TAL Education Group) · LAUR (Laureate Education, Inc.) · PXED (Phoenix Education Partners, Inc) · COUR (Coursera, Inc.) · CVSA (Covista Inc.)
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