Universal Technical Institute is down 57% from its 52-week high with 54.6% upside to the analyst target and a 3-for-3 earnings beat streak, but weak earnings quality, leverage of 2.0 and 78% reliance on Title IV funding keep it speculative.
Thesis pillars
- Weak Earnings Quality Leverage↑Improving
- Large Gap To Analyst Target↓Deteriorating
- Earnings Beat Streak↓Deteriorating
- +2 more pillars — see the Why tab for full reasoning
Pillars as of Oct 24, 2026, based on the 10-K filed Nov 26, 2025
Universal Technical Institute I (UTI) Stock Analysis
Recovery setup · Catalyst-Driven edge
Consumer Defensive · Education & Training Services
Sell if holding. Engine safety override at $22.15: Quality below floor (3.7 < 4.0) triggers a hard block regardless of the otherwise-positive setup — overall score 4.6/10 and A.R:R 3.4:1 is above the 1.5:1 BUY gate. Specifically: High short interest: 14%; Elevated put/call ratio: 10.44; Below-average business quality.
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
Sell if holding. Engine safety override at $22.15: Quality below floor (3.7 < 4.0) triggers a hard block regardless of the otherwise-positive setup — overall score 4.6/10 and A.R:R 3.4:1 is above the 1.5:1 BUY gate. Specifically: High short interest: 14%; Elevated put/call ratio: 10.44; Below-average business quality. Chart setup: Death cross but MACD improving, RSI 77. Score 4.6/10, moderate confidence.
Passes 7/8 gates (positive momentum, favorable risk/reward ratio, clean insider activity, no SEC red flags, earnings proximity 20d clear, semi cycle peak clear, materials cycle peak clear). Suitability: speculative.
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.
Recent developments
updated 2026-10-29Recent Developments — Universal Technical Institute I
Latest news
- NEWS Universal Technical Institute (UTI) Expected to Announce Earnings on Wednesday - MarketBeat — MarketBeat neutral
- NEWS Universal Technical Institute stock gains 1.72 percent as UTITweet shares skilled trades training update - Traders Union — Traders Union positive
- NEWS Universal Technical Institute Inc (UTI) Technical Analysis: Support, Resistance, Indicators & Moving Averages - TradingK — TradingKey neutral
- NEWS Universal Technical Institute Inc (UTI) Valuation: PE, PB & Fair Value Analysis - TradingKey — TradingKey neutral
- NEWS Universal Technical Institute Inc (UTI) Valuation: PE, PB & Fair Value Analysis - tradingkey.com — tradingkey.com neutral
Generated 2026-10-29T11:08:52Z.
Upcoming dated catalysts
Thesis
Key Metrics
Quality Signals
Options Flow
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. How we score · Editorial policy
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Rating Breakdown
4 floor-breakers
Technicals below the gate floor. Component breakdown shows what dragged the score down.static
Growth below the gate floor. Component breakdown shows what dragged the score down.static
Ranks in the bottom of its industry peers on the composite signal. Better names in the same sector exist.static
Quality below the gate floor. Component breakdown shows what dragged the score down.static
Price Targets
Position Sizing
Risk Alerts
Earnings
Verdict History
Frequently Asked Questions
Sell if holding. Engine safety override at $22.15: Quality below floor (3.7 < 4.0) triggers a hard block regardless of the otherwise-positive setup — overall score 4.6/10 and A.R:R 3.4:1 is above the 1.5:1 BUY gate. Specifically: High short interest: 14%; Elevated put/call ratio: 10.44; Below-average business quality. Chart setup: Death cross but MACD improving, RSI 77. Prior stop was $20.60. Score 4.6/10, moderate confidence.
Analyst target: $33.35 (+50.6% upside). Prior stop was $20.60. Stop-loss: $20.60.
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 (4 sells, 0.07% of cap).
Universal Technical Institute I trades at a P/E of 36.3 (forward 23.8). TrendMatrix value score: 5.7/10. Verdict: Sell.
11 analysts cover UTI with a consensus score of 4.0/5. Average price target: $38.
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.