Positioning no disclosures inside 60 days, left as found
Options put/call open interest 0.20, read 2026-10-28
Ethical does not pass the values gate
Price21.85 USD
Fair value28.05
Ethical score70.0/100
Our investment reviews on this name
2026-10-21Read Accumulation20.31+7.6% to today ✓Markdown gives way to Accumulation
2026-09-16Read Markdown20.55+6.3% to today Distribution gives way to Markdown after a 29% slide in 4 weeks
2026-08-16Read Distribution28.95-24.5% to today ✓Markup gives way to Distribution after a 26% slide in 6 weeks
2026-07-02Read Markup39.14-44.2% to today First review on file: Markup
Our analytic regime reads on this name, dated and marked against the screened price. Small sample per name, and separate from the daily-framework accuracy on the Track Record page.
Universal Technical Institute, Inc. holds its Accumulation at $21.85. The statistical read favours the buyers, held for 35 days.
As held on the ledger · 2026-10-23
Phase
Accumulation
Quantitative state
The statistical read favours the buyers, held for 35 days
Price at the screen
$21.85
Valuation
34.10 trailing · 22.37 forward price to earnings
Values screen
FAIL· score 70.0
Beta
1.19
The Workings
Five Screens, Shown in Full
Does not pass. Debt ratio
Test
Figure
Limit
What it means
Status
Business activity
Permissible
Core business clean
Its core business isn't built on prohibited lines: no gambling, alcohol, tobacco, weapons, or interest-based lending.
Pass
Debt load
33.76%
Below 33%
Interest-bearing debt is 33.8% of its assets, above the one-third ceiling the screen allows.
Fail
Interest-bearing cash
5.06%
Below 33%
Cash held in interest-bearing accounts and securities is 5.1% of assets, under the one-third limit.
Pass
Receivables
22.99%
Below 49%
Money owed to the company is 23.0% of assets, under the 49% limit.
Pass
Revenue purity
0.74%
Below 5%
Only 0.7% of revenue comes from non-compliant sources, under the 5% line.
Pass
Five checks adapted from AAOIFI screening standards: business activity plus four balance-sheet ratios. All five must pass for ethical clearance. Every figure is arithmetic on public accounts, not judgement.
The Ethical Read
Why It Falls Short, in Plain English
Universal Technical Institute,'s business is in a permissible area, but its interest-bearing debt is about 34% of the company, just over the ~33% line, so it does not pass on the financial screens.
Read as at 2026-10-28. It updates when the underlying figures move, and past reads are kept below.
Follow this verdict
Get an email when UTI's ethical verdict changes
Today UTI does not pass the screen. If new figures move it to a pass, we send you one short email with the before and after. Verdicts change rarely, so you may not hear from us for a long time.
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Fair value range in USD, drawn from the 2026-10-23 screen. The gold marker is the market price at the same screen. A 28.4% margin of safety to the base estimate.
Third-party analyst targets: 6 covering, consensus None. The average target sits +72% from the screen price.
Reading the gap · Both our model and the analysts see meaningful upside from here.
Price History & Projections
Where it has been, where the models see it going. History from market close data; projection points are our fair-value estimates and third-party analyst targets, dated to the 2026-10-23 screen.
Fair value and rating are our own model estimates; the Street's range reflects third-party analyst estimates. Analysis, not advice.
The Business, in Plain Words
Vocational training priced like a growth star
Every time a mechanic or nurse needs a certificate to start work, schools like Universal Technical Institute step in to deliver the training. Yet the shares sit 23% above our fair value at a forward multiple of 43 times earnings, even though revenue is rising only 7% a year and profit margins remain stuck at 5%.
We pass because the numbers do not justify the price. Return on equity of 13% and an unknown competitive moat offer little protection when growth stays modest and the market already prices in far stronger expansion than the business has delivered.
Regulatory shifts in education funding and swings in student enrolment could hit results quickly, while the gap between current price and fair value leaves little room for disappointment. Analysis, not advice.
The risks · The things to watch: it's a small-cap, so the share price can swing harder than the market.
Plain-English interpretation of our own screen data. Analysis, not advice.
Where & How to Trade
UTI trades on the NYSE. As a listed security it is accessible through almost any international broker offering its home market. New to this, or investing from abroad? Our guide to accessing global markets covers brokers, currencies and the practical steps.
The Dated Journal · Newest First, Never Edited
Every Entry, As Written
2026-10-28Accumulation$20.80+2.4%Entry 9
The analysis reads accumulation. Smart money appears to be quietly building positions. This typically precedes a markup phase. Price has moved up 2.4% since our last review. Ethical screening: FAIL. This security does not pass our values-based screening criteria. The risk-adjusted return profile shows good risk-adjusted returns. Our composite framework grades it B, carrying a low risk profile. Technically it is sitting below its long-term trend line with momentum reading overbought. Over the past year the shares are up 22%. Our forward projection puts the odds of a 10% gain over the next month near 38%. The street (6 analysts) rates it none, with a mean price target of $42. Insiders have been net buyers over the past quarter.
The framework has shifted from markdown to accumulation since the last review. Smart money appears to be quietly building positions. This typically precedes a markup phase. Price has moved down 1.6% since our last review. Ethical screening: FAIL. This security does not pass our values-based screening criteria. The risk-adjusted return profile shows modest positive risk-adjusted returns. Our composite framework grades it C, carrying a low risk profile. Technically it is momentum reading neutral. Over the past year the shares are up 22%. Our forward projection puts the odds of a 10% gain over the next month near 38%. The street (6 analysts) rates it none, with a mean price target of $42. Insiders have been net buyers over the past quarter.
2026-10-14Markdown$20.64-3.9%Entry 7
The analysis reads markdown. Price is trending lower. Sellers are in control and the prior trend has reversed. Price has moved down 3.9% since our last review. Ethical screening: FAIL. This security does not pass our values-based screening criteria. The risk-adjusted return profile shows modest positive risk-adjusted returns. Our composite framework grades it C, carrying a low risk profile. Technically it is holding around 26% above its long-term trend line with momentum reading bullish. Over the past year the shares are up 22%. Our forward projection puts the odds of a 10% gain over the next month near 38%. The street (6 analysts) rates it none, with a mean price target of $42. Insiders have been net buyers over the past quarter.
2026-10-02Markdown$21.47+4.5%Entry 6
Our analysis reads markdown. Price is trending lower. Sellers are in control and the prior trend has reversed. Price has moved up 4.5% since our last review. Ethical screening: FAIL. This security does not pass our values-based screening criteria. The risk-adjusted return profile shows modest positive risk-adjusted returns. Our composite framework grades it B, carrying a low risk profile. Technically it is holding around 26% above its long-term trend line with momentum reading bullish. Over the past year the shares are up 22%. Our forward projection puts the odds of a 10% gain over the next month near 38%. The street (6 analysts) rates it none, with a mean price target of $42. Insiders have been net buyers over the past quarter.
2026-09-16Markdown · changed$20.55-29.0%Entry 5
The framework has shifted from distribution to markdown since the last review. Price is trending lower. Sellers are in control and the prior trend has reversed. Price has moved down 29.0% since our last review. Ethical screening: FAIL. This security does not pass our values-based screening criteria. The risk-adjusted return profile shows modest positive risk-adjusted returns. Our composite framework grades it B, carrying a low risk profile. Technically it is holding around 26% above its long-term trend line with momentum reading bullish. Over the past year the shares are up 22%. Our forward projection puts the odds of a 10% gain over the next month near 38%. The street (6 analysts) rates it none, with a mean price target of $42. Insiders have been net buyers over the past quarter.
The framework has shifted from markup to distribution since the last review. Smart money appears to be selling into strength. Institutional holders may be rotating out. Price has moved down 26.0% since our last review. Ethical screening: FAIL. This security does not pass our values-based screening criteria. The risk-adjusted return profile shows good risk-adjusted returns. Our composite framework grades it B, carrying a low risk profile. Technically it is holding around 26% above its long-term trend line with momentum reading bullish. Over the past year the shares are up 22%. Our forward projection puts the odds of a 10% gain over the next month near 38%. The street (6 analysts) rates it none, with a mean price target of $42. Insiders have been net buyers over the past quarter.
2026-07-18Markup$39.14+0.0%Entry 3
Our analysis reads markup. Price is trending higher with momentum. The crowd has caught on and buyers are in control. Price has moved down 0.0% since our last review. Ethical screening: PASS with passing ethical screen. The risk-adjusted return profile shows excellent risk-adjusted returns. Our composite framework grades it B, carrying a low risk profile. Technically it is holding around 26% above its long-term trend line with momentum reading bullish. Over the past year the shares are up 22%. Our forward projection puts the odds of a 10% gain over the next month near 38%. The street (6 analysts) rates it none, with a mean price target of $42.
2026-07-03Markup$39.14+0.0%Entry 2
Our analysis reads markup. Price is trending higher with momentum. The crowd has caught on and buyers are in control. Price has moved down 0.0% since our last review. Ethical screening: PASS with passing ethical screen (70). The risk-adjusted return profile shows excellent risk-adjusted returns.
2026-07-02Markup$39.14Entry 1
Our analysis reads markup. Price is trending higher with momentum. The crowd has caught on and buyers are in control. Ethical screening: PASS with passing ethical screen (70). The risk-adjusted return profile shows excellent risk-adjusted returns.
Each entry above was written on its date, before the outcome. A journal you can prune is not a journal.
