Lincoln National Corporation (NYSE:LNC) Given Consensus Rating of “Hold” by Analysts

Shares of Lincoln National Corporation (NYSE:LNC) have earned an average recommendation of “Hold” from the sixteen analysts that are presently covering the company, MarketBeat reports. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation, eight have issued a hold recommendation and six have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average 12 month price objective among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $43.2143.

Several brokerages recently weighed in on LNC. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods increased their target price on Lincoln National from $43.00 to $44.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 13th. UBS Group restated a “neutral” rating and issued a $39.00 target price on shares of Lincoln National in a research note on Thursday, May 14th. Bank of America reduced their price target on Lincoln National from $41.00 to $37.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, April 14th. TD Cowen reduced their price objective on shares of Lincoln National from $43.00 to $38.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, March 9th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lifted their target price on Lincoln National from $43.00 to $44.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 12th.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Lincoln National news, EVP Craigt T. Beazer sold 30,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, June 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $34.45, for a total value of $1,033,500.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 103,906 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,579,561.70. This trade represents a 22.40% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. 1.03% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of Lincoln National

Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. JPL Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in Lincoln National during the 3rd quarter valued at about $29,000. V Square Quantitative Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Lincoln National in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Transamerica Financial Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Lincoln National during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $32,000. NBT Bank N A NY raised its holdings in shares of Lincoln National by 2,051.1% during the first quarter. NBT Bank N A NY now owns 968 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $34,000 after buying an additional 923 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Los Angeles Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Lincoln National during the fourth quarter worth approximately $34,000. 72.81% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Lincoln National Trading Up 1.7%

Lincoln National stock traded up $0.66 during trading on Tuesday, hitting $39.05. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 138,046 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,034,655. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $36.12 and its 200 day moving average is $37.91. Lincoln National has a 1-year low of $32.18 and a 1-year high of $46.82. The stock has a market capitalization of $7.47 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 4.52, a P/E/G ratio of 2.37 and a beta of 1.17. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.65, a quick ratio of 0.25 and a current ratio of 0.25.

Lincoln National (NYSE:LNC) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 7th. The financial services provider reported $1.66 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.58 by $0.08. Lincoln National had a return on equity of 18.07% and a net margin of 9.17%.The firm had revenue of $4.87 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.93 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.60 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 13.1% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Lincoln National will post 7.73 EPS for the current year.

Lincoln National Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 3rd. Stockholders of record on Friday, July 10th will be issued a dividend of $0.45 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, July 10th. This represents a $1.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.6%. Lincoln National’s dividend payout ratio is 20.88%.

About Lincoln National

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.