Universal Technical Institute, Inc. (NYSE:UTI), is not the largest company out there, but it saw significant share price movement during recent months on the NYSE, rising to highs of US$16.69 and falling to the lows of US$14.23. Some share price movements can give investors a better opportunity to enter into the stock, and potentially buy at a lower price. A question to answer is whether Universal Technical Institute's current trading price of US$15.02 reflective of the actual value of the small-cap? Or is it currently undervalued, providing us with the opportunity to buy? Let's take a look at Universal Technical Institute's outlook and value based on the most recent financial data to see if there are any catalysts for a price change.

Is Universal Technical Institute Still Cheap?

According to our price multiple model, where we compare the company's price-to-earnings ratio to the industry average, the stock currently looks expensive. We've used the price-to-earnings ratio in this instance because there's not enough visibility to forecast its cash flows. The stock's ratio of 48.94x is currently well-above the industry average of 19.31x, meaning that it is trading at a more expensive price relative to its peers. But, is there another opportunity to buy low in the future? Since Universal Technical Institute's share price is quite volatile, this could mean it can sink lower (or rise even further) in the future, giving us another chance to invest. This is based on its high beta, which is a good indicator for how much the stock moves relative to the rest of the market.

What does the future of Universal Technical Institute look like?

Future outlook is an important aspect when you're looking at buying a stock, especially if you are an investor looking for growth in your portfolio. Although value investors would argue that it's the intrinsic value relative to the price that matter the most, a more compelling investment thesis would be high growth potential at a cheap price. With profit expected to more than double in the upcoming, the future appears to be extremely bright for Universal Technical Institute. It looks like higher cash flow is on the cards for the stock, which should feed into a higher share valuation.

What This Means For You

Are you a shareholder? It seems like the market has well and truly priced in UTI's positive outlook, with shares trading above industry price multiples. At this current price, shareholders may be asking a different question – should I sell? If you believe UTI should trade below its current price, selling high and buying it back up again when its price falls towards the industry PE ratio can be profitable. But before you make this decision, take a look at whether its fundamentals have changed.

Are you a potential investor? If you've been keeping tabs on UTI for some time, now may not be the best time to enter into the stock. The price has surpassed its industry peers, which means it is likely that there is no more upside from mispricing. However, the optimistic prospect is encouraging for UTI, which means it's worth diving deeper into other factors in order to take advantage of the next price drop.

If you'd like to know more about Universal Technical Institute as a business, it's important to be aware of any risks it's facing. Every company has risks, and we've spotted 2 warning signs for Universal Technical Institute (of which 1 doesn't sit too well with us!) you should know about.

If you are no longer interested in Universal Technical Institute, you can use our free platform to see our list of over 50 other stocks with a high growth potential.

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This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.