Lincoln National Corporation (LNC) – What Are Analysts Thinking About This Stock?

Shares of Lincoln National Corporation (NYSE:LNC) have earned a consensus rating of “Hold” from the thirteen ratings firms that are currently covering the firm, Marketbeat.com reports. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have assigned a hold rating and seven have assigned a buy rating to the company. The average 12 month target price among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is $48.67.

A number of equities research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Jefferies Financial Group upped their price target on shares of Lincoln National from $56.00 to $57.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, July 10th. National Bank Financial set a $49.00 target price on Lincoln National in a report on Wednesday, October 7th. Mizuho decreased their price target on Lincoln National from $53.00 to $49.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, October 7th. Bank of America reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and set a $47.00 price objective on shares of Lincoln National in a research note on Thursday, July 30th. Finally, Barclays increased their target price on shares of Lincoln National from $45.00 to $48.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 7th.

Lincoln National Price Performance

LNC stock opened at $40.35 on Thursday. The company has a market capitalization of $7.73 billion, a PE ratio of 3.50, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.33 and a beta of 1.16. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $42.25 and its 200-day moving average price is $39.51. Lincoln National has a one year low of $32.18 and a one year high of $47.67. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62, a quick ratio of 0.27 and a current ratio of 0.27.

Lincoln National (NYSE:LNC) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The financial services provider reported $2.24 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.96 by $0.28. Lincoln National had a net margin of 12.21% and a return on equity of 17.35%. The business had revenue of $4.93 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.89 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $2.36 EPS. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 12.3% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Lincoln National will post 7.94 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Lincoln National Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, November 2nd. Investors of record on Monday, October 12th will be paid a dividend of $0.45 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, October 9th. This represents a $1.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.5%. Lincoln National’s payout ratio is currently 15.60%.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Gary Kelly sold 15,007 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $26.50, for a total value of $397,685.50. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP Sean Woodroffe sold 11,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $45.28, for a total transaction of $498,080.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 119,947 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,431,200.16. The trade was a 8.40% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Corporate insiders own 1.03% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Lincoln National

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Trust Co. of Vermont bought a new position in Lincoln National in the 2nd quarter worth about $28,000. NBT Bank N A NY boosted its holdings in shares of Lincoln National by 2,051.1% in the first quarter. NBT Bank N A NY now owns 968 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $34,000 after purchasing an additional 923 shares during the period. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Lincoln National by 6,269.6% in the first quarter. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. now owns 1,465 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $52,000 after purchasing an additional 1,442 shares during the period. Eastern Bank grew its stake in Lincoln National by 45.7% in the second quarter. Eastern Bank now owns 1,865 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $66,000 after purchasing an additional 585 shares in the last quarter. Finally, CoreCap Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Lincoln National by 935.2% during the 2nd quarter. CoreCap Advisors LLC now owns 1,853 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $66,000 after purchasing an additional 1,674 shares during the period. 72.81% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Lincoln National Company Profile

Lincoln National Corporation, operating under the Lincoln Financial Group brand, is a financial services company that provides insurance and retirement products primarily in the United States. Its businesses are designed to help individuals, employers and institutions manage financial protection, income and long-term savings needs.

The company offers life insurance and annuities, including products intended to provide death-benefit protection, retirement income and asset accumulation. Through its group protection business, Lincoln also provides employer-sponsored disability, dental, vision and leave-management solutions, as well as related workplace benefits and services.

Lincoln traces its history to the founding of The Lincoln National Life Insurance Company in Fort Wayne, Indiana, in 1905.