Lincoln Educational Services Co. (NASDAQ:LINC) Short Interest Update

Lincoln Educational Services Co. (NASDAQ:LINC) saw a large growth in short interest during the month of February. As of February 28th, there was short interest totalling 364,500 shares, a growth of 23.4% from the February 13th total of 295,300 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 173,700 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 2.1 days. Approximately 1.4% of the company’s shares are short sold.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Lincoln Educational Services

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Sanctuary Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Lincoln Educational Services in the 4th quarter valued at about $288,000. Barclays PLC boosted its stake in shares of Lincoln Educational Services by 259.0% in the 3rd quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 34,220 shares of the company’s stock valued at $408,000 after purchasing an additional 24,688 shares in the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. grew its holdings in shares of Lincoln Educational Services by 248.7% during the 3rd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 39,646 shares of the company’s stock valued at $473,000 after purchasing an additional 28,275 shares during the last quarter. Bailard Inc. increased its position in Lincoln Educational Services by 24.5% during the 4th quarter. Bailard Inc. now owns 84,900 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,343,000 after purchasing an additional 16,693 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. lifted its stake in Lincoln Educational Services by 3.5% in the 3rd quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 74,935 shares of the company’s stock valued at $895,000 after purchasing an additional 2,545 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 72.23% of the company’s stock.

Lincoln Educational Services Stock Up 1.0 %

Shares of NASDAQ LINC traded up $0.15 during midday trading on Wednesday, reaching $15.12. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 3,820 shares, compared to its average volume of 127,425. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $16.46 and a 200-day simple moving average of $14.90. The company has a current ratio of 1.57, a quick ratio of 1.53 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17. The stock has a market capitalization of $477.53 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 47.19, a PEG ratio of 1.70 and a beta of 1.61. Lincoln Educational Services has a fifty-two week low of $9.29 and a fifty-two week high of $19.79.

Lincoln Educational Services (NASDAQ:LINC) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Monday, February 24th. The company reported $0.31 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.20 by $0.11. The company had revenue of $119.37 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $110.50 million. Lincoln Educational Services had a return on equity of 10.60% and a net margin of 2.33%. Equities research analysts predict that Lincoln Educational Services will post 0.54 earnings per share for the current year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts have commented on LINC shares. Rosenblatt Securities upped their target price on shares of Lincoln Educational Services from $20.00 to $24.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 25th. Barrington Research restated an “outperform” rating and set a $20.00 price objective on shares of Lincoln Educational Services in a report on Wednesday, February 19th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $19.75.

About Lincoln Educational Services

Lincoln Educational Services Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, provides various career-oriented post-secondary education services to high school graduates and working adults in the United States. The company operates in two segments, Campus Operations and Transitional. It offers associate's degree, and diploma and certificate programs in automotive technology; skilled trades programs, including electrical, heating and air conditioning repair, welding, computerized numerical control, and electrical and electronic systems technology; health science programs comprising licensed practical nurse, registered nurse, dental assistant, medical assistant, medical administrative assistant, and claims examiner; hospitality service and information technology programs, such as culinary, therapeutic massage, cosmetology, aesthetics, and computer systems support technicians.