Optimistic Investors Push Universal Technical Institute, Inc. (NYSE:UTI) Shares Up 26% But Growth Is Lacking

Universal Technical Institute, Inc. (NYSE:UTI) shareholders would be excited to see that the share price has had a great month, posting a 26% gain and recovering from prior weakness. The annual gain comes to 116% following the latest surge, making investors sit up and take notice.

Since its price has surged higher, Universal Technical Institute's price-to-earnings (or "P/E") ratio of 33.3x might make it look like a strong sell right now compared to the market in the United States, where around half of the companies have P/E ratios below 17x and even P/E's below 10x are quite common. However, the P/E might be quite high for a reason and it requires further investigation to determine if it's justified.

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Universal Technical Institute certainly has been doing a good job lately as it's been growing earnings more than most other companies. The P/E is probably high because investors think this strong earnings performance will continue. If not, then existing shareholders might be a little nervous about the viability of the share price.

See our latest analysis for Universal Technical Institute

If you'd like to see what analysts are forecasting going forward, you should check out our free report on Universal Technical Institute.

Is There Enough Growth For Universal Technical Institute?

The only time you'd be truly comfortable seeing a P/E as steep as Universal Technical Institute's is when the company's growth is on track to outshine the market decidedly.

Taking a look back first, we see that the company grew earnings per share by an impressive 137% last year. Pleasingly, EPS has also lifted 56% in aggregate from three years ago, thanks to the last 12 months of growth. So we can start by confirming that the company has done a great job of growing earnings over that time.

Shifting to the future, estimates from the six analysts covering the company suggest earnings should grow by 6.6% each year over the next three years. With the market predicted to deliver 10% growth per year, the company is positioned for a weaker earnings result.

In light of this, it's alarming that Universal Technical Institute's P/E sits above the majority of other companies. Apparently many investors in the company are way more bullish than analysts indicate and aren't willing to let go of their stock at any price. Only the boldest would assume these prices are sustainable as this level of earnings growth is likely to weigh heavily on the share price eventually.

What We Can Learn From Universal Technical Institute's P/E?

The strong share price surge has got Universal Technical Institute's P/E rushing to great heights as well. Typically, we'd caution against reading too much into price-to-earnings ratios when settling on investment decisions, though it can reveal plenty about what other market participants think about the company.

We've established that Universal Technical Institute currently trades on a much higher than expected P/E since its forecast growth is lower than the wider market. Right now we are increasingly uncomfortable with the high P/E as the predicted future earnings aren't likely to support such positive sentiment for long. This places shareholders' investments at significant risk and potential investors in danger of paying an excessive premium.

Plus, you should also learn about this 1 warning sign we've spotted with Universal Technical Institute.

You might be able to find a better investment than Universal Technical Institute. If you want a selection of possible candidates, check out this free list of interesting companies that trade on a low P/E (but have proven they can grow earnings).

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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.