Keefe, Bruyette & Woods Issues Positive Forecast for Lincoln National (NYSE:LNC) Stock Price

Lincoln National (NYSE:LNC) had its price target raised by Keefe, Bruyette & Woods from $46.00 to $51.00 in a research report report published on Friday,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has an outperform rating on the financial services provider’s stock.

LNC has been the subject of several other reports. Mizuho upped their target price on Lincoln National from $48.00 to $51.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, July 9th. Morgan Stanley dropped their price target on Lincoln National from $43.00 to $40.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, May 21st. Bank of America reissued a “neutral” rating and issued a $47.00 price objective on shares of Lincoln National in a research report on Thursday. Barclays upgraded 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 note on Monday, July 6th. Finally, TD Cowen raised their target price on Lincoln National from $37.00 to $42.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 22nd. Six analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have assigned a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Lincoln National currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $46.43.

Lincoln National Stock Down 0.9%

Lincoln National stock opened at $45.60 on Friday. Lincoln National has a fifty-two week low of $32.18 and a fifty-two week high of $46.82. The stock has a market cap of $8.72 billion, a PE ratio of 3.95, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.25 and a beta of 1.17. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $38.23 and its 200 day simple moving average is $37.45. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62, a quick ratio of 0.25 and a current ratio of 0.27.

Lincoln National (NYSE:LNC) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 30th. The financial services provider reported $2.24 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.96 by $0.28. Lincoln National had a net margin of 12.21% and a return on equity of 17.35%. The business had revenue of $4.93 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.89 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $2.36 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 12.3% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts predict that Lincoln National will post 7.73 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Lincoln National Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 3rd. Shareholders of record on Friday, July 10th will be issued a dividend of $0.45 per share. This represents a $1.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.9%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, July 10th. Lincoln National’s dividend payout ratio is 20.88%.

Insider Transactions at Lincoln National

In other Lincoln National news, EVP Craigt T. Beazer sold 30,000 shares of the firm’s 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 completion of 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 transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. 1.03% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Baird Financial Group Inc. purchased a new stake in Lincoln National in the 1st quarter worth about $241,000. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. raised its stake in Lincoln National by 30.9% in the 1st quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 71,981 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $2,585,000 after acquiring an additional 16,991 shares during the period. Empowered Funds LLC lifted its holdings in Lincoln National by 316.9% during the first quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 59,115 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $2,123,000 after purchasing an additional 44,936 shares during the last quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC lifted its holdings in Lincoln National by 5.0% during the first quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 623,322 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $22,383,000 after purchasing an additional 29,421 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Focus Partners Wealth boosted its position in Lincoln National by 39.1% during the first quarter. Focus Partners Wealth now owns 19,530 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $701,000 after purchasing an additional 5,486 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 72.81% of the company’s stock.

Trending Headlines about Lincoln National

Here are the key news stories impacting Lincoln National this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q2 earnings and revenue beat expectations: Lincoln Financial reported adjusted operating income of $2.24 per diluted share, above the roughly $1.96–$2.00 analyst consensus, while revenue reached $4.93 billion versus expectations of $4.89 billion. Revenue increased 12.3% year over year, supporting investor confidence in the company’s profitability and execution. Lincoln Financial Reports 2026 Second Quarter Results
• Positive Sentiment: Legacy reinsurance deal adds to the bullish reaction: Coverage indicates that a major legacy-block reinsurance transaction, together with the earnings beat, helped drive a sharp post-results increase in LNC shares. The deal may reduce legacy risk and improve the company’s financial flexibility. Lincoln National Is Up After Earnings Beat and Major Legacy Block Reinsurance Deal
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts raised price targets and ratings: Mizuho increased its target from $51 to $53 and assigned an “outperform” rating. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods raised its target from $46 to $51 and also rated the shares “outperform,” signaling continued upside potential after the earnings report. Analyst price-target updates
• Neutral Sentiment: Preferred dividends declared: Lincoln’s board declared semiannual dividends on its Series C and Series D preferred stock. The announcement demonstrates continued capital-distribution activity but has limited direct impact on common-stock earnings. Preferred Stock Dividends
• Negative Sentiment: Some underlying metrics trailed estimates: Analysts noted that sales were below expectations, and quarterly EPS declined from $2.36 in the year-ago period despite the current-quarter beat. These factors could limit further upside if investors focus on growth quality and sustainability. Lincoln Financial Group Q2 Earnings

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.