Stock fact sheet · data as of
Universal Technical Institute, Inc. (UTI): fair value, margin of safety and Wheel Score
Ticker symbol UTI · Consumer Defensive · Education & Training Services · United States · Growth
Is UTI undervalued?
At 22.33 (close of 5 Nov 2026), UTI trades 21% over the GLS average fair value of 18.50. 3 of the 7 models land above the price and 4 below. A negative margin of safety fails the "below fair value" Wheel Trade Filter - the models see no discount, which does not make the business a poor one, only the price a full one.
The 7 models disagree widely: 10 Cap gives 6.28 while Graham Growth gives 35.62. A spread that wide means the average is sensitive to which methods you trust; the model table below shows where each one lands, and the Quote page lets you switch any of them off.
Ranked against every other company we cover, UTI is clearly faster-growing than it is cheap, so the nightly engine files it under Growth (value score 21, growth score 67, out of 100).
Nine valuation models for UTI
Each model turns the latest filed numbers into a value per share; the GLS fair value is the simple average of the ones that produce a positive number. The last two rows are shown for reference and never enter the average. The Quote page lets you switch any model off and add your own margin of safety.
| Model | Value | vs price | What it measures |
|---|---|---|---|
| DCF | 32.73 | +47% | Present value of the projected free cash flows, discounted at the cost of capital |
| Graham Number | 9.36 | -58% | The most a defensive investor pays for the earnings and book value per share |
| Graham Growth | 35.62 | +60% | Graham's growth formula: EPS × (8.5 + 2 × growth), adjusted for bond yields |
| Lynch | 15.57 | -30% | EPS × the earnings growth rate (PEG of 1), growth capped at 25% |
| GLS Growth | 23.02 | +3% | EPS compounded ten years at the blended growth rate, discounted back at 15% a year |
| 10 Cap | 6.28 | -72% | Owner's earnings (operating cash flow less maintenance capex) capitalised at 10% |
| Payback Time | - | - | Eight years of compounded free cash flow: the price at which the business pays for itself; no value tonight |
| DDM | - | - | Dividend discount model: next year's dividend ÷ (10% − 3% growth); needs a dividend; no value tonight |
| EPV | 6.92 | -69% | Earnings power value: current EPS capitalised at 9% with no growth |
| Zombie (liquidation) | -4.56 | -120% | Current assets less all liabilities, per share: the balance-sheet floor. Not in the average |
| Wall St target | 38.33 | +72% | Analysts' average 12-month price target. Not in the average |
Quality and financial health
Financial health is average - UTI passes 6 of the nine Piotroski tests, which passes the "Piotroski 6 or more" Wheel Trade Filter. The Financials tab on the Quote page shows which tests fail. The GLS Moat score is 5.7 out of 10: a record that is solid on some of the four parts the score weighs (returns on capital, pricing power, lasting growth, balance sheet) and weaker on others.
Returns on capital are moderate - ROIC 10.4%, ROE 19.2%, ROA 7.6% - with debt at 0.85 times equity and negative free cash flow.
Universal Technical Institute, Inc. pays no dividend, so the DDM model does not apply and a covered-call holder earns only the premium and any price gain. Revenue comes mainly from Postsecondary Education 97%, Other Segments 3% (quarter Q4 FY2022).
Institutional ownership scores 10/10, insider activity 1/10 and Congressional trading 5/10 on the GLS smart-money scales; the last recorded insider buy was on 28 Sep 2026.
| Piotroski F-score | 6 / 9 | ROIC | 10.4% |
|---|---|---|---|
| GLS Moat | 5.7 / 10 | ROE | 19.2% |
| Debt / equity | 0.85 | ROA | 7.6% |
| Free-cash-flow yield | -1.9% | Payout ratio | 0% |
| Institutions | 10 / 10 | Insiders · Congress | 1 · 5 / 10 |
Wheel Score 32: Weak
UTI scores 32 out of 100 on the Wheel Score, in the Weak band (under 50): it fails filter 3, below fair value - trades 21% above our fair value, and the parts are thin too - value weak, premium strong, moat fair, health good, red flags weak, option trading fair, stability fair. The score is not a judgement on the company; it says the price, quality and premium do not line up for selling puts on it today.
Implied volatility is 69% on the near-the-money contracts 20-60 days out - above the 60% top of the sweet spot. It still passes the 25-80% filter, but the Wheel Score rewards it less because volatility this high usually comes with a reason. Chain open interest is 5,860 contracts across all expiries - enough for the wheel at normal size.
Volume runs at 1.3M shares a day on a market cap of $1.2B, with a beta of 1.19; the Stability part of the Wheel Score rates that fair.
| Filter | Wheel Trade Filter | Result | Detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Options that actually trade | Passes | Listed options with 1,000+ contracts of open interest and 100+ traded a day |
| 2 | A real business, not a gamble | Passes | Profitable over the last twelve months - not a speculative stock, fund or note |
| 3 | Below fair value | Fails | trades 21% above our fair value |
| 4 | Financially healthy | Passes | Piotroski F-score 6 or more out of 9 (a company with no score on file passes) |
| 5 | Can repay its debt | Passes | Long-term debt repaid from 3 years of operating cash flow or less (6 for real estate and utilities; banks and insurers are not judged on it) |
| 6 | No serious red flags | Passes | Red Flags score 60 or more out of 100 (earnings, margins, debt, analysts, filings and price checked the same way for every stock) |
| 7 | A premium worth selling | Passes | Implied volatility 25-80% (enough premium, not a lottery ticket) |
| 8 | Big enough | Passes | Market cap $1 billion or more |
| 9 | Not a penny stock | Passes | Share price $5 or more |
| How it ranks | Rating | From | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Value | Weak | 21% above fair value | |
| Premium | Strong | implied volatility 69% | |
| Moat | Fair | moat 5.7/10 | |
| Health | Good | Piotroski 6/9 | |
| Red Flags | Weak | Red Flags score 65/100 | |
| Option trading | Fair | 1,377 contracts a day, 5,860 open interest | |
| Stability | Fair | beta 1.19, $1.2B company |
The Wheel Score ranks ~7,400 US stocks for selling cash-secured puts and covered calls: a stock must pass all 9 Wheel Trade Filters to score 70, and the score then ranks the ones that pass; the Sunday Scan is the top 10. It is updated nightly and is not a recommendation. How the Wheel Score works · the walkthrough lesson shows how it fits into a trade, start to finish.
Upcoming events
Universal Technical Institute, Inc. reports earnings on 18 Nov 2026 (after the close) - inside the 14-day window the Sunday Scan avoids, because a put sold now would carry the report's gap risk.
Earnings, dividend, IPO, split and economic calendars for the whole market, filterable to your watchlists.
Similar stocks in Education & Training Services
The 12 companies below are the closest to Universal Technical Institute, Inc. by market cap within the Education & Training Services industry, each with its own fact sheet; the Compare page puts up to eight of them side by side.
| Stock | Close | Fair value | MoS | Wheel | Mkt cap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| COUR Coursera, Inc. | 3.90 | 8.81 | +56% | 42Weak | $1.0B |
| AFYA Afya Limited | 10.50 | 35.73 | +71% | 39Weak | $960M |
| STRA Strategic Education, Inc. | 74.32 | 182.52 | +59% | 49Weak | $1.7B |
| GOTU Gaotu Techedu Inc. | 2.35 | 2.57 | +9% | 23Weak | $829M |
| PRDO Perdoceo Education Corporation | 29.99 | 48.76 | +38% | 53Fair | $1.9B |
| PXED Phoenix Education Partners, Inc | 21.66 | 48.20 | +55% | 34No options | $781M |
| APEI American Public Education, Inc. | 42.41 | 74.70 | +43% | 47Weak | $776M |
| LINC Lincoln Educational Services Corporation | 20.11 | 26.73 | +25% | 42Weak | $638M |
| MH McGraw Hill, Inc. | 12.76 | 28.27 | +55% | 46Weak | $2.4B |
| DAO Youdao, Inc. | 20.69 | 13.26 | -56% | 26Weak | $2.5B |
| LRN Stride, Inc. | 79.24 | 258.10 | +69% | 80Good | $3.3B |
| DFPH DFP Healthcare Acquisitions Cor | 2.01 | - | - | 8No options | $436M |
⚖ Compare UTI with 7 of them All Consumer Defensive stocks →
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Start free See the Sunday ScanQuestions about UTI
Is UTI undervalued right now?
No: at 22.33 the stock trades 21% above the GLS average fair value of 18.50 (data as of 5 Nov 2026). The margin of safety is negative.
What is the Wheel Score of UTI and what does it mean?
UTI scores 32 out of 100 (Weak) - it fails Wheel Trade Filter 3. The Wheel Score ranks stocks for the wheel strategy - selling cash-secured puts, then covered calls if assigned - in two parts: the 9 pass/fail Wheel Trade Filters (busy options, a real business, below fair value, Piotroski 6 or more, debt it can repay, a Red Flags score of 60 or more, implied volatility of 25-80%, a $1 billion company, $5 a share) and a ranking of how strongly a stock passes on value, premium, moat, health, red flags, option trading and stability. A stock that fails any filter stays under 70; 70-84 is Good, 85 and above is Prime. The Sunday Scan is the top 10 that pass, sorted by Wheel Score.
What is the GLS fair value for UTI?
18.50 per share as of 5 Nov 2026 - the simple average of the 7 valuation models (out of nine: DCF, Graham Number, Graham Growth, Lynch, GLS Growth, 10 Cap, Payback Time, DDM and EPV) that produced a positive value. The models run every night on the latest filings; the Quote page lets you switch any of them off and add a margin of safety of your own.
When does Universal Technical Institute, Inc. report earnings next?
The next earnings report is due on 18 Nov 2026 (after the close), 13 days from the data date of 5 Nov 2026. The Calendars page lists every upcoming report with its time of day.
Does UTI have listed options, and how liquid are they?
Yes. The nightly snapshot found 42 listed contracts with 5,860 open interest across all expiries and implied volatility of 69% on the near-the-money contracts. The Options scanner lists the cash-secured put and covered call set-ups with premium and annualised yield worked out.