Lincoln Educational Services (NASDAQ:LINC) Sets New 52-Week High – Time to Buy?

Lincoln Educational Services Corporation (NASDAQ:LINC) shares reached a new 52-week high during trading on Thursday . The company traded as high as $26.41 and last traded at $26.4080, with a volume of 61064 shares. The stock had previously closed at $25.14.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts recently issued reports on LINC shares. Northland Securities set a $28.00 target price on Lincoln Educational Services in a research report on Wednesday, January 7th. Barrington Research restated an “outperform” rating and set a $27.00 target price on shares of Lincoln Educational Services in a research report on Monday, December 1st. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Lincoln Educational Services in a research report on Wednesday, October 8th. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Lincoln Educational Services from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, December 13th. Finally, Zacks Research upgraded shares of Lincoln Educational Services from a “strong sell” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Monday. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have issued a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Lincoln Educational Services currently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $26.20.

Lincoln Educational Services Price Performance

The company has a market cap of $825.39 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 58.00, a PEG ratio of 2.00 and a beta of 0.99. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $22.49 and its 200 day moving average price is $21.84. The company has a current ratio of 0.81, a quick ratio of 0.77 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.21.

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

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Lincoln Educational Services news, Director Kevin M. Carney sold 13,866 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction 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 sale, the director owned 24,823 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $550,574.14. This trade represents a 35.84% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Company insiders own 13.60% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Lincoln Educational Services

Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Acadian Asset Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Lincoln Educational Services by 135.8% during the 2nd quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC now owns 144,851 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,337,000 after buying an additional 83,426 shares during the last quarter. SG Capital Management LLC grew its stake in Lincoln Educational Services by 894.7% in the 2nd quarter. SG Capital Management LLC now owns 170,556 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,931,000 after acquiring an additional 153,410 shares during the last quarter. Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. increased its holdings in Lincoln Educational Services by 32.4% during the 2nd quarter. Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. now owns 191,759 shares of the company’s stock valued at $4,420,000 after acquiring an additional 46,913 shares in the last quarter. Archon Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in Lincoln Educational Services during the second quarter worth about $692,000. Finally, Channel Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Lincoln Educational Services in the second quarter valued at about $801,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 72.23% of the company’s stock.

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.