Lincoln Educational Services (NASDAQ:LINC) Reaches New 1-Year High – Should You Buy?

Lincoln Educational Services Corporation (NASDAQ:LINC)’s share price hit a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Wednesday . The company traded as high as $39.94 and last traded at $39.51, with a volume of 889136 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $37.27.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms recently commented on LINC. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Lincoln Educational Services from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, February 23rd. Lake Street Capital lifted their price target on shares of Lincoln Educational Services from $26.00 to $35.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 24th. Weiss Ratings raised Lincoln Educational Services from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 11th. B. Riley Financial increased their price objective on Lincoln Educational Services from $33.00 to $38.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 24th. Finally, Griffin Securities set a $38.00 price objective on Lincoln Educational Services in a research report on Tuesday, February 24th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have issued a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $37.33.

Lincoln Educational Services Stock Up 6.0%

The company’s 50-day moving average is $30.06 and its 200 day moving average is $24.63. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.25 billion, a PE ratio of 62.72, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.55 and a beta of 0.91. The company has a current ratio of 0.86, a quick ratio of 0.82 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.15.

Lincoln Educational Services (NASDAQ:LINC) last released its earnings results on Monday, February 23rd. The company reported $0.50 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.42 by $0.08. Lincoln Educational Services had a net margin of 3.86% and a return on equity of 15.24%. The company had revenue of $142.87 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $131.70 million. Lincoln Educational Services has set its FY 2026 guidance at 0.640-0.740 EPS. As a group, analysts anticipate that Lincoln Educational Services Corporation will post 0.54 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity at Lincoln Educational Services

In related news, COO Chad D. Nyce sold 8,450 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $36.50, for a total value of $308,425.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief operating officer owned 174,206 shares in the company, valued at $6,358,519. This trade represents a 4.63% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, Director Sylvia Jean Young sold 7,959 shares of Lincoln Educational Services stock in a transaction dated Friday, March 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $35.81, for a total value of $285,011.79. Following the sale, the director directly owned 12,697 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $454,679.57. This represents a 38.53% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold 458,665 shares of company stock valued at $16,061,744 over the last three months. 16.80% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of LINC. State of Alaska Department of Revenue acquired a new position in shares of Lincoln Educational Services in the third quarter valued at about $35,000. Royal Bank of Canada lifted its holdings in shares of Lincoln Educational Services by 246.7% during the fourth quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 1,536 shares of the company’s stock worth $38,000 after purchasing an additional 1,093 shares during the period. Strs Ohio acquired a new stake in shares of Lincoln Educational Services during the first quarter worth about $48,000. Stanley Laman Group Ltd. purchased a new stake in Lincoln Educational Services in the third quarter valued at approximately $49,000. Finally, State of Wyoming purchased a new stake in Lincoln Educational Services in the third quarter valued at approximately $54,000. 72.23% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Lincoln Educational Services Company Profile

Lincoln Educational Services Corporation is a publicly traded provider of career-focused post-secondary vocational education in the United States. Operating under the Lincoln Tech and Lincoln Culinary Institute brands, the company delivers hands-on technical instruction across high-growth industries. Its mission centers on equipping students with practical skills and industry credentials designed to meet employer needs.

The company’s program offerings span automotive technology, skilled trades, health sciences, information technology, culinary arts and public safety.