Lincoln Educational Services (NASDAQ:LINC) Upgraded at Wall Street Zen

Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Lincoln Educational Services (NASDAQ:LINC) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research report sent to investors on Saturday.

Several other research analysts also recently commented on LINC. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Lincoln Educational Services in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. Barrington Research reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $27.00 price target on shares of Lincoln Educational Services in a report on Monday, December 1st. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have given a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $25.40.

Lincoln Educational Services Stock Performance

NASDAQ LINC opened at $22.84 on Friday. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $21.15 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $21.57. Lincoln Educational Services has a 12-month low of $14.10 and a 12-month high of $25.76. The firm has a market cap of $722.20 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 50.76, a PEG ratio of 1.79 and a beta of 1.00. The company has a quick ratio of 0.77, a current ratio of 0.81 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.21.

Lincoln Educational Services (NASDAQ:LINC) last issued its earnings results on Monday, November 10th. The company reported $0.20 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.12 by $0.08. Lincoln Educational Services had a return on equity of 12.20% and a net margin of 2.86%.The company had revenue of $141.39 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $129.85 million. On average, equities analysts forecast that Lincoln Educational Services will post 0.54 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Lincoln Educational Services

In other news, Director Kevin M. Carney sold 13,866 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, December 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $22.18, for a total value of $307,547.88. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 24,823 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $550,574.14. This represents a 35.84% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Company insiders own 16.80% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Lincoln Educational Services

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. State of Alaska Department of Revenue purchased a new position in Lincoln Educational Services during the third quarter valued at $35,000. Strs Ohio purchased a new position in Lincoln Educational Services during the 1st quarter valued at about $48,000. Stanley Laman Group Ltd. purchased a new position in Lincoln Educational Services during the 3rd quarter valued at about $49,000. State of Wyoming bought a new stake in Lincoln Educational Services during the third quarter worth about $54,000. Finally, McIlrath & Eck LLC grew its holdings in Lincoln Educational Services by 24.2% in the third quarter. McIlrath & Eck LLC now owns 2,815 shares of the company’s stock worth $66,000 after purchasing an additional 548 shares during the period. 72.23% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Lincoln Educational Services

Lincoln Educational Services Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, provides various career-oriented post-secondary education services to high school graduates and working adults in the United States. The company operates in two segments, Campus Operations and Transitional. It offers associate's degree, and diploma and certificate programs in automotive technology; skilled trades programs, including electrical, heating and air conditioning repair, welding, computerized numerical control, and electrical and electronic systems technology; health science programs comprising licensed practical nurse, registered nurse, dental assistant, medical assistant, medical administrative assistant, and claims examiner; hospitality service and information technology programs, such as culinary, therapeutic massage, cosmetology, aesthetics, and computer systems support technicians.