Lincoln National (NYSE:LNC) Stock Price Expected to Rise, Mizuho Analyst Says

Lincoln National (NYSE:LNC) had its price objective lifted by equities researchers at Mizuho from $48.00 to $51.00 in a research report issued on Thursday,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has an “outperform” rating on the financial services provider’s stock. Mizuho’s price objective suggests a potential upside of 31.53% from the stock’s previous close.

Several other research analysts also recently issued reports on LNC. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upped their target price on shares of Lincoln National from $43.00 to $44.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 13th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on shares of Lincoln National from $43.00 to $44.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 12th. Morgan Stanley decreased their price objective on shares of Lincoln National from $43.00 to $40.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, May 21st. Barclays raised Lincoln National from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and upped their price objective for the company from $42.00 to $45.00 in a research report on Monday. Finally, Bank of America cut their target price on Lincoln National from $41.00 to $37.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, April 14th. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have assigned a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $43.79.

Lincoln National Price Performance

LNC opened at $38.77 on Thursday. The firm has a market cap of $7.41 billion, a PE ratio of 4.50, a P/E/G ratio of 2.51 and a beta of 1.17. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $36.19 and a 200-day moving average price of $37.82. Lincoln National has a 1 year low of $32.18 and a 1 year high of $46.82. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.65, a current ratio of 0.25 and a quick ratio of 0.25.

Lincoln National (NYSE:LNC) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 7th. The financial services provider reported $1.66 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.58 by $0.08. The company had revenue of $4.87 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.93 billion. Lincoln National had a net margin of 9.17% and a return on equity of 18.07%. Lincoln National’s revenue for the quarter was up 13.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $1.60 EPS. Sell-side analysts predict that Lincoln National will post 7.73 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at Lincoln National

In other news, EVP Craigt T. Beazer sold 30,000 shares of Lincoln National stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, June 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $34.45, for a total value of $1,033,500.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 103,906 shares in the company, valued at $3,579,561.70. The trade was a 22.40% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. 1.03% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Lincoln National

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in LNC. Fideuram Intesa Sanpaolo Private Banking S.P.A. purchased a new position in Lincoln National in the fourth quarter worth about $4,742,000. CSM Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Lincoln National during the 3rd quarter valued at about $13,481,000. Oxbow Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of Lincoln National by 22.1% during the 4th quarter. Oxbow Advisors LLC now owns 231,208 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $10,296,000 after purchasing an additional 41,817 shares during the last quarter. Wealthstar Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Lincoln National during the 1st quarter valued at about $1,183,000. Finally, Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corp lifted its stake in shares of Lincoln National by 38.4% in the 4th quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corp now owns 121,806 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $5,424,000 after purchasing an additional 33,808 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 72.81% of the company’s stock.

Lincoln National Company Profile

Lincoln National Corporation, doing business as Lincoln Financial Group, is a diversified financial services holding company focused on providing retirement, insurance, and wealth management solutions in the United States and select international markets. Headquartered in Radnor, Pennsylvania, the company operates through several business segments, including Retirement Plan Services, Life Insurance, and Group Protection. Its offerings are designed to help individuals, families, and institutions plan and prepare for their financial futures.

The Retirement Plan Services segment delivers recordkeeping, administrative services, and investment management for defined contribution and defined benefit plans.