Short Interest in Lincoln Educational Services Corporation (NASDAQ:LINC) Decreases By 17.0%

Lincoln Educational Services Corporation (NASDAQ:LINC) was the target of a large decrease in short interest in the month of December. As of December 31st, there was short interest totaling 1,028,696 shares, a decrease of 17.0% from the December 15th total of 1,240,001 shares. Currently, 3.9% of the company’s shares are sold short. Based on an average daily volume of 191,712 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 5.4 days. Based on an average daily volume of 191,712 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 5.4 days. Currently, 3.9% of the company’s shares are sold short.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Kevin M. Carney sold 13,866 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, December 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $22.18, for a total value of $307,547.88. Following the sale, the director directly owned 24,823 shares in the company, valued at approximately $550,574.14. The trade was a 35.84% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Insiders own 16.80% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Lincoln Educational Services

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of LINC. State of Alaska Department of Revenue acquired a new stake in Lincoln Educational Services in the third quarter valued at $35,000. Strs Ohio acquired a new stake in shares of Lincoln Educational Services during the 1st quarter worth about $48,000. Stanley Laman Group Ltd. purchased a new stake in Lincoln Educational Services during the third quarter worth approximately $49,000. State of Wyoming acquired a new position in Lincoln Educational Services in the third quarter valued at approximately $54,000. Finally, McIlrath & Eck LLC increased its stake in Lincoln Educational Services by 24.2% in the third quarter. McIlrath & Eck LLC now owns 2,815 shares of the company’s stock valued at $66,000 after purchasing an additional 548 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 72.23% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

LINC has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Lincoln Educational Services in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. Wall Street Zen raised Lincoln Educational Services from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, December 13th. Barrington Research reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $27.00 price objective on shares of Lincoln Educational Services in a report on Monday, December 1st. Zacks Research upgraded Lincoln Educational Services from a “strong sell” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Monday, January 12th. Finally, Northland Securities set a $28.00 price target on shares of Lincoln Educational Services in a research note on Wednesday, January 7th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have assigned a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Lincoln Educational Services presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $26.20.

Lincoln Educational Services Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ LINC opened at $26.08 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.21, a current ratio of 0.81 and a quick ratio of 0.77. The company has a market cap of $824.65 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 57.96, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.07 and a beta of 0.99. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $22.95 and its two-hundred day moving average is $21.90. Lincoln Educational Services has a 1-year low of $14.10 and a 1-year high of $26.95.

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

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.