Stock fact sheet · data as of
Universal Technical Institute, Inc. (UTI): fair value, margin of safety and Wheel Score
Consumer Defensive · Education & Training Services · United States · High Growth
Is UTI undervalued?
At 20.31 (close of 16 Oct 2026), UTI trades 11% over the GLS average fair value of 18.31. 3 of the 7 models land above the price and 4 below. A negative margin of safety costs Value points in the Wheel Score (8 of 25 here) - 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.
The nightly engine files UTI under High Growth: revenue and earnings growing fast enough that the growth-based models carry the valuation.
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 | 31.40 | +55% | Present value of the projected free cash flows, discounted at the cost of capital |
| Graham Number | 9.36 | -54% | The most a defensive investor pays for the earnings and book value per share |
| Graham Growth | 35.62 | +75% | Graham's growth formula: EPS × (8.5 + 2 × growth), adjusted for bond yields |
| Lynch | 15.57 | -23% | EPS × the earnings growth rate (PEG of 1), growth capped at 25% |
| GLS Growth | 23.03 | +13% | EPS compounded ten years at the blended growth rate, discounted back at 15% a year |
| 10 Cap | 6.28 | -69% | 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 | -66% | Earnings power value: current EPS capitalised at 9% with no growth |
| Zombie (liquidation) | -4.56 | -122% | Current assets less all liabilities, per share: the balance-sheet floor. Not in the average |
| Wall St target | 41.00 | +102% | 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 Sunday Scan's "6 or more" rule. The Financials tab on the Quote page shows which tests fail. The GLS Moat score is 6.1 out of 10: a ten-year record that is consistent in some of the metrics the score tracks (revenue, earnings, margins, cash flow, returns on capital) and patchy in 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.
| Piotroski F-score | 6 / 9 | ROIC | 10.4% |
|---|---|---|---|
| GLS Moat | 6.1 / 10 | ROE | 19.2% |
| Debt / equity | 0.85 | ROA | 7.6% |
| Free-cash-flow yield | -2.0% | Payout ratio | 0% |
| Institutions | 10 / 10 | Insiders · Congress | 1 · 5 / 10 |
Wheel Score 66: Good
UTI scores 66 out of 100 on the Wheel Score (Good band, 65-79). The score blends the margin of safety (Value, 8/25), Piotroski health (13/20), the GLS moat (9/15), the option premium on offer (19/20) and how easily the stock trades (16/20). Value (8/25) is the part holding the score back.
Implied volatility is 64% on the near-the-money contracts 20-60 days out - above the 60% ceiling of the sweet spot. Premiums are large, but the Wheel Score tapers the Premium points (19 of 20) because volatility this high usually comes with a reason. Chain open interest is 19,247 contracts across all expiries - enough for the wheel at normal size.
Volume runs at 2.0M shares a day on a market cap of $1.1B, with a beta of 1.19; the Stability part of the Wheel Score gives that 16 of 20.
| Part | Points | From | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Value | 8 / 25 | -11% margin of safety | |
| Health | 13 / 20 | Piotroski 6/9 | |
| Moat | 9 / 15 | moat 6.1/10 | |
| Premium | 19 / 20 | implied volatility 64% | |
| Stability | 16 / 20 | 2.0M shares/day, $1.1B cap, beta 1.19 |
The Wheel Score ranks ~7,400 US stocks for selling cash-secured puts and covered calls; it is updated nightly and is not a recommendation. The walkthrough lesson shows how the score fits into a trade, start to finish.
Upcoming events
The next earnings report is due on 18 Nov 2026 (after the close), 33 days away; a 30-45-day put sold today would expire after it, which is worth weighing against the premium.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GOTU Gaotu Techedu Inc. | 2.67 | 16.70 | +84% | 45Weak | $962M |
| AFYA Afya Limited | 14.52 | 85.46 | +83% | 66Good | $1.3B |
| COUR Coursera, Inc. | 5.09 | 9.88 | +48% | 45Weak | $1.3B |
| APEI American Public Education, Inc. | 49.13 | 74.71 | +34% | 78Good | $899M |
| PXED Phoenix Education Partners, Inc | 23.79 | 56.60 | +58% | 39No options | $858M |
| LINC Lincoln Educational Services Corporation | 22.56 | 26.74 | +16% | 69Good | $716M |
| STRA Strategic Education, Inc. | 80.97 | 180.97 | +55% | 83Prime | $1.8B |
| PRDO Perdoceo Education Corporation | 33.55 | 48.56 | +31% | 87Prime | $2.1B |
| DAO Youdao, Inc. | 18.51 | 12.84 | -44% | 39Weak | $2.2B |
| MH McGraw Hill, Inc. | 14.20 | 26.91 | +47% | 76Good | $2.7B |
| DFPH DFP Healthcare Acquisitions Cor | 2.01 | - | - | 20No options | $436M |
| LRN Stride, Inc. | 83.18 | 245.69 | +66% | 85Prime | $3.5B |
⚖ Compare UTI with 7 of them All Consumer Defensive stocks →
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A free GLS Equity account gets you nightly fair value and the Wheel Score on ~7,400 US stocks, a watchlist, the scanner preview and the Sunday Scan - the same eight-rule screen, emailed every week. Pro adds the full put and call scanners, unlimited watchlists with alerts and the trade journal.
Start free See the Sunday ScanQuestions about UTI
Is UTI undervalued right now?
No: at 20.31 the stock trades 11% above the GLS average fair value of 18.31 (data as of 16 Oct 2026). The margin of safety is negative.
What is the Wheel Score of UTI and what does it mean?
UTI scores 66 out of 100 (Good). The Wheel Score blends the margin of safety (25 points), Piotroski health (20), the GLS moat (15), the option premium on offer (20) and trading stability (20) into one number that ranks stocks for the wheel strategy - selling cash-secured puts, then covered calls if assigned. 80 and above is Prime, 65-79 Good, 50-64 Fair, under 50 Weak.
What is the GLS fair value for UTI?
18.31 per share as of 16 Oct 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), 33 days from the data date of 16 Oct 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 226 listed contracts with 19,247 open interest across all expiries and implied volatility of 64% 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.