Barclays Issues Pessimistic Forecast for Lincoln National (NYSE:LNC) Stock Price

Lincoln National (NYSE:LNC) had its target price decreased by investment analysts at Barclays from $44.00 to $42.00 in a report released on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The firm presently has an “equal weight” rating on the financial services provider’s stock. Barclays‘s price target indicates a potential upside of 17.73% from the company’s previous close.

Other analysts have also issued research reports about the stock. Piper Sandler lifted their target price on shares of Lincoln National from $42.00 to $48.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Tuesday, December 23rd. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their target price on shares of Lincoln National from $52.00 to $59.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, December 15th. Wells Fargo & Company upgraded shares of Lincoln National from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and boosted their price target for the stock from $41.00 to $48.00 in a research report on Wednesday, February 25th. Mizuho initiated coverage on shares of Lincoln National in a research report on Tuesday, December 16th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $52.00 price target on the stock. Finally, National Bank Financial set a $45.00 price target on shares of Lincoln National in a research report on Thursday, January 8th. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have issued a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $45.23.

Lincoln National Stock Performance

Shares of Lincoln National stock traded up $0.75 during trading on Wednesday, hitting $35.68. 741,383 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,289,783. Lincoln National has a 52-week low of $28.23 and a 52-week high of $46.82. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.59, a quick ratio of 0.27 and a current ratio of 0.27. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $36.75 and a 200-day simple moving average of $40.02. The stock has a market capitalization of $6.78 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 6.72, a PEG ratio of 1.57 and a beta of 1.23.

Lincoln National (NYSE:LNC) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 12th. The financial services provider reported $2.21 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.86 by $0.35. Lincoln National had a net margin of 6.46% and a return on equity of 18.52%. The company had revenue of $4.89 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.85 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $1.91 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was down 2.8% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts forecast that Lincoln National will post 7.69 EPS for the current year.

Insider Transactions at Lincoln National

In other news, EVP James Waltman Reid sold 3,050 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $41.81, for a total value of $127,520.50. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 118,567 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,957,286.27. This represents a 2.51% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Sean Woodroffe sold 10,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $34.46, for a total transaction of $344,600.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 206,159 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,104,239.14. This represents a 4.63% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last three months, insiders have sold 21,050 shares of company stock worth $734,041. 0.54% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Lincoln National

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Insight Inv LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Lincoln National by 0.5% in the 4th quarter. Insight Inv LLC now owns 48,127 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $2,143,000 after acquiring an additional 250 shares during the last quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC lifted its holdings in Lincoln National by 6.5% during the 4th quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 4,110 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $185,000 after buying an additional 252 shares in the last quarter. Phillips Financial Management LLC lifted its holdings in Lincoln National by 1.2% during the 3rd quarter. Phillips Financial Management LLC now owns 21,857 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $881,000 after buying an additional 254 shares in the last quarter. CWM LLC lifted its holdings in Lincoln National by 2.1% during the 4th quarter. CWM LLC now owns 12,397 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $552,000 after buying an additional 255 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Evergreen Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in Lincoln National by 3.2% during the 2nd quarter. Evergreen Capital Management LLC now owns 8,815 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $305,000 after buying an additional 275 shares in the last quarter. 72.81% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Lincoln National Company Profile

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.