Summary of Universal Technical Institute (UTI) FY Conference Call Company Overview - **Company Name**: Universal Technical Institute (UTI) - **Industry**: Workforce education provider focusing on transportation, skilled trades, and healthcare educational programs - **Stock Symbol**: UTI (traded on NYSE) - **Current Active Students**: Approximately 22,000 with a target of 30,000 new student starts for the year [6][39] Financial Performance and Projections - **Revenue Guidance for FY 2025**: Expected to be between $830 million and $835 million, representing a growth of approximately 14% [38] - **Net Income Growth**: Anticipated to grow by about 30% [38] - **Adjusted EBITDA**: Projected to be around $126 million, with a growth of approximately 22% [39] - **Long-term Revenue Target**: Aiming for $1.1 billion by 2029 with adjusted EBITDA exceeding $200 million [6][36] Strategic Focus - **North Star Strategy**: Focused on growth, diversification, and optimization, with plans to add 12 to 20 new programs annually and open 3 to 5 new campuses each year from 2026 to 2029 [24][19] - **Market Demand**: There are currently 4 to 5 job openings for every UTI graduate, indicating a strong demand for skilled labor in the market [14] - **Industry Alignment**: UTI claims to be the most industry-aligned educator in the U.S., with over 35 manufacturer partners, enhancing job placement and graduate wages [15] Educational Offerings - **Program Expansion**: UTI has acquired MIT College of Technology and Concord Career College, expanding into aviation, HVAC, electronics, and allied health [21][12] - **Student Outcomes**: Over 70% of students graduate on time, and over 85% secure jobs within the first year of graduation [9] - **Blended Learning Model**: Transitioning to a blended learning model allows students to spend less time on campus, facilitating work-life balance [18] Campus and Real Estate Strategy - **Current Campuses**: 32 campuses with plans to expand to 50-55 by 2029 [13] - **Real Estate Optimization**: UTI has reduced its physical space from 2.5 million square feet to 2 million square feet, focusing on revenue per square foot [20] Financial Aid and Student Debt - **Typical Student Financial Aid**: Students typically receive $10,000 to $12,000 in Pell Grants and around $20,000 in federally backed Stafford loans [43][44] - **Debt Levels**: Average student debt upon graduation is approximately $20,000 [48] Employment Community Engagement - **Employer Partnerships**: UTI has established agreements with employers to facilitate job placements, offering sign-on bonuses and tuition reimbursement to attract graduates [49] - **Job Fair Success**: Recent job fairs have shown high demand, with 1,500 open jobs available for 600 students in the auto program [50] Regulatory and Compliance - **Cohort Default Rate**: Currently at zero due to the pause in student loan collections since 2020, with historical rates around 12-13% [55] Conclusion - UTI is positioned for significant growth in the workforce education sector, with a strong focus on meeting market demand, optimizing operations, and expanding educational offerings. The company aims to leverage its industry partnerships and innovative learning models to enhance student outcomes and financial performance.

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Total revenue for Q1 2025 was just over $536 million, up 1.4% on a comparable adjusted basis year over year [9][18] - Comparable adjusted EBITDA for the quarter was just over $100 million, increasing nearly 3.5% from 2024 [10][19] - Comparable adjusted EPS finished at $0.75, reflecting just over 4% expansion versus the prior year [10][20] - Net debt levels decreased to $1.46 billion, down approximately $80 million from the previous year [28] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Payments and Data segments grew by a blended rate just above 8.5%, with the Data segment revenue growing 29% year over year [11][24] - Merchant Services revenue grew by 1.3% year over year to $97.8 million, with adjusted EBITDA remaining flat at $21.4 million [20] - B2B segment revenues increased by 1.2% to $70.2 million, with adjusted EBITDA dollars remaining flat at $13.3 million [22] - Print segment revenue declined by 4% year over year to $291.3 million, with legacy check revenues declining by 1.8% [26] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The revenue mix shifted towards payments and data offerings, with the ratio of print to payments and data segments changing from 57:43 to 54:46 year over year [11] - The company continues to monitor macroeconomic trends and consumer sentiment for potential impacts on revenue [6][32] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focused on executing its North Star strategy, which emphasizes accelerating free cash flow and profit growth [5][14] - The management is maintaining overall guidance ranges for 2025 despite macroeconomic uncertainties [9][32] - New partnerships, such as with TownBank, are seen as opportunities to expand market reach and improve service delivery [38][66] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management acknowledged extraordinary volatility and macroeconomic uncertainty but emphasized control over internal execution [5][6] - The company expects continued strong performance in the Data segment and is optimistic about future growth despite potential challenges in the Print segment [24][32] Other Important Information - The company reported a free cash flow of $24.3 million for the quarter, improving by $18.1 million from the previous year [29] - The Board approved a regular quarterly dividend of $0.30 per share, payable on June 2, 2025 [31] Q&A Session Summary Question: Insights on the Merchant Business - Management noted that the Merchant business continues to perform well across various market conditions, with strength in government and not-for-profit sectors [34][35] Question: Strategic Changes with New Leadership - Management expressed confidence in the new leadership and highlighted a focus on improving partnership relationships and expanding distribution channels [36][38] Question: Segment Modeling and Performance - Management indicated that the Data segment had a strong quarter but does not expect to maintain a 29% growth rate, projecting upper single digits to low double digits for the full year [44] Question: Impact of Government Check Phasing Out - Management clarified that the federal government is not a customer and does not expect significant impact from the phasing out of physical checks [54][56] Question: Observations on Tariffs and Spending - Management noted minimal evidence of consumer pull forward in spending related to tariffs, emphasizing that their revenue is transaction-based [58][59] Question: Potential Catalysts for Partnerships - Management highlighted the company's strong brand and relationships in the banking sector as key advantages for driving new partnerships [66][70]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Total revenue for Q1 2025 was just over $536 million, up 1.4% on a comparable adjusted basis year over year [9][19] - Comparable adjusted EBITDA for the quarter was just over $100 million, increasing nearly 3.5% from 2024 [10][20] - Comparable adjusted EPS finished at $0.75, reflecting just over 4% expansion versus the prior year [10][21] - Net debt levels decreased to $1.46 billion, down approximately $80 million from the previous year [28] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Payments and Data segments grew by a blended rate just above 8.5%, with Data segment revenue growing 29% year over year [11][24] - Merchant Services revenue grew by 1.3% year over year to $97.8 million, with adjusted EBITDA remaining flat at $21.4 million [21] - B2B segment revenues finished at $70.2 million, increasing 1.2% versus 2024, with adjusted EBITDA dollars remaining flat at $13.3 million [22][23] - Print segment revenue declined 4% year over year, with legacy check revenues declining 1.8% [26] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The revenue mix shifted towards payments and data offerings, with the ratio moving from 57:43 to 54:46 in favor of payments and data segments [11] - The Data Solutions segment achieved record levels for the quarter, with revenues of $77.2 million, reflecting a growth of 29.3% [24] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focused on executing its North Star strategy, which emphasizes free cash flow and profit growth [5][14] - The management is maintaining overall guidance ranges for 2025 despite macroeconomic uncertainties [31][32] - The company aims to optimize its balance sheet and reduce net debt levels, with a long-term target of three times leverage or better by the end of 2026 [28][29] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management acknowledged extraordinary volatility and macroeconomic uncertainty but emphasized control over internal execution [5][6] - The company continues to monitor consumer sentiment and discretionary spending for potential impacts on its outlook [6] - Despite anticipated challenges, management remains confident in achieving its 2025 revenue and EBITDA goals [14][31] Other Important Information - The company received an S&P ratings upgrade, improving its rating from B- to single B, with a positive outlook [28] - Free cash flow for the quarter was $24.3 million, improving by $18.1 million from the previous year [29][30] - A regular quarterly dividend of $0.30 per share was approved, payable on June 2, 2025 [30] Q&A Session Summary Question: Can you provide more detail on the merchant business and its performance? - The merchant business continues to perform well across various market conditions, with strong retention and ongoing volume from diversified customer categories [33][34] Question: What strategic changes might occur with the new leadership in the merchant business? - The new leadership aims to improve partnership relationships and expand distribution channels, with recent partnerships indicating a move upmarket [35][36] Question: How should we model the segment performance, especially with potential declines? - The data segment is expected to continue strong growth, while print may see a larger decline due to promotional pressures [40][43] Question: What is the secret to the data segment's recent success? - The data business leverages a large consumer and small business database combined with advanced AI tools to effectively target marketing campaigns [46][48] Question: What is the potential impact of the Trump administration's commentary on physical checks? - The company has no direct exposure to government checks and does not anticipate significant collateral impacts from the announcement [52][55] Question: Have there been signs of spending pull forward due to tariffs? - There was a small amount of pull forward in promotional products, but no significant evidence of stocking in the business [56] Question: What are the potential catalysts for driving additional partnerships? - The company has strong brand recognition and relationships in the banking sector, which positions it well for future partnerships [61][62]