Lincoln Educational Services (NASDAQ:LINC) Issues FY 2026 Earnings Guidance

Lincoln Educational Services (NASDAQ:LINC) issued an update on its FY 2026 earnings guidance on Monday morning. The company provided earnings per share guidance of 0.740-0.830 for the period, compared to the consensus estimate of 0.770. The company issued revenue guidance of $590.0 million-$600.0 million, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $594.6 million.

Lincoln Educational Services Trading Down 24.9%

Shares of NASDAQ LINC opened at $30.77 on Tuesday. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $46.63 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $41.09. The stock has a market cap of $976.02 million, a P/E ratio of 43.34, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.49 and a beta of 0.83. Lincoln Educational Services has a 52-week low of $17.29 and a 52-week high of $56.34. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18, a quick ratio of 0.80 and a current ratio of 0.83.

Lincoln Educational Services (NASDAQ:LINC) last announced its earnings results on Monday, August 10th. The company reported $0.06 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. Lincoln Educational Services had a return on equity of 15.25% and a net margin of 4.11%.The business had revenue of $142.56 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $139.49 million. Lincoln Educational Services has set its FY 2026 guidance at 0.740-0.830 EPS. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Lincoln Educational Services will post 0.78 EPS for the current year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have weighed in on LINC shares. B. Riley Financial upped their price objective on shares of Lincoln Educational Services from $46.00 to $56.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, May 12th. Barrington Research set a $50.00 target price on shares of Lincoln Educational Services in a research note on Monday. Lake Street Capital restated a “buy” rating and issued a $55.00 price objective on shares of Lincoln Educational Services in a research note on Tuesday, May 12th. Rosenblatt Securities reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $60.00 price target on shares of Lincoln Educational Services in a research report on Thursday, June 11th. Finally, Northland Securities set a $60.00 price objective on shares of Lincoln Educational Services in a research report on Thursday, May 28th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $53.17.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Lincoln Educational Services news, Director James J. Burke, Jr. sold 15,807 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $48.36, for a total transaction of $764,426.52. Following the transaction, the director owned 44,198 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,137,415.28. This represents a 26.34% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, SVP Alexandra M. Luster sold 18,007 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, June 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $44.64, for a total value of $803,832.48. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president owned 82,356 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,676,371.84. This trade represents a 17.94% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold 55,000 shares of company stock valued at $2,614,758 over the last quarter. 12.80% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Lincoln Educational Services News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Lincoln Educational Services this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Second-quarter results exceeded expectations. Lincoln reported adjusted? GAAP EPS of $0.06, beating consensus by $0.07, while revenue of approximately $142.6 million surpassed estimates by $3.26 million. The company also reported a 4.11% net margin and 15.25% return on equity. Lincoln Educational Services earnings results
• Positive Sentiment: Full-year guidance was maintained. Management projects fiscal 2026 EPS of $0.74–$0.83 and revenue of $590 million–$600 million, broadly consistent with analyst expectations. Maintaining the outlook provides some reassurance that management views the enrollment slowdown as manageable. Lincoln Educational Services second-quarter results and guidance
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support remains favorable. Barrington reiterated its Buy rating, citing Lincoln’s outlook and industry tailwinds, although it reduced its price target to $50 from a higher prior target. A separate Seeking Alpha analysis characterized the selloff as a potential opportunity to buy the dip. Lincoln Educational Services analyst rating
• Neutral Sentiment: The earnings call transcript provides additional management commentary on the quarter, enrollment trends and the reiterated 2026 outlook. Lincoln Educational Services Q2 2026 earnings call transcript
• Negative Sentiment: New-student starts slowed. This raised concerns that enrollment growth—and therefore future revenue and earnings growth—could weaken, triggering a sharp investor reaction despite the reported quarterly beat. Lincoln Educational new student starts
• Negative Sentiment: Unusually heavy put-option buying—2,687 contracts, roughly 435% above average volume—signals heightened bearish hedging or speculation around LINC. Lincoln Educational Services options activity

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Lincoln Educational Services

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. boosted its stake in shares of Lincoln Educational Services by 3.7% in the 2nd quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 16,235 shares of the company’s stock worth $374,000 after buying an additional 578 shares during the last quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC increased its position in shares of Lincoln Educational Services by 6.5% during the 4th quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC now owns 9,641 shares of the company’s stock valued at $233,000 after purchasing an additional 586 shares during the last quarter. Empowered Funds LLC lifted its stake in shares of Lincoln Educational Services by 1.9% in the 1st quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 47,648 shares of the company’s stock worth $756,000 after purchasing an additional 879 shares during the period. Franklin Resources Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Lincoln Educational Services by 4.9% in the third quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 19,873 shares of the company’s stock worth $467,000 after buying an additional 937 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Deutsche Bank AG grew its position in Lincoln Educational Services by 4.7% during the fourth quarter. Deutsche Bank AG now owns 23,293 shares of the company’s stock valued at $563,000 after buying an additional 1,039 shares during the period. 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.