Lincoln National (NYSE:LNC) Shares Break Above Fifty Day Moving Average – Should You Sell?

Lincoln National Corporation (NYSE:LNC)’s stock price crossed above its fifty day moving average during trading on Tuesday. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $41.69 and traded as high as $42.63. Lincoln National shares last traded at $42.2440, with a volume of 2,468,169 shares traded.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

LNC has been the topic of a number of research reports. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price objective on shares of Lincoln National from $52.00 to $54.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, October 12th. UBS Group upped their price target on shares of Lincoln National from $44.00 to $46.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday, October 6th. Morgan Stanley lowered their price target on shares of Lincoln National from $50.00 to $47.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, October 5th. Mizuho lowered their price target on shares of Lincoln National from $53.00 to $49.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, October 7th. Finally, Barclays raised their price objective on shares of Lincoln National from $45.00 to $48.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 7th. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $48.67.

Lincoln National Stock Performance

The company has a market capitalization of $8.09 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 3.66, a PEG ratio of 1.40 and a beta of 1.16. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $41.69 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $39.03. The company has a quick ratio of 0.27, a current ratio of 0.27 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62.

Lincoln National Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, November 2nd. Investors of record on Monday, October 12th were given a dividend of $0.45 per share. This represents a $1.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.3%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, October 9th. Lincoln National’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 15.60%.

Insider Transactions at Lincoln National

In related news, EVP Sean Woodroffe sold 11,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $45.28, for a total value of $498,080.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 119,947 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,431,200.16. The trade was a 8.40% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, Director Gary Kelly sold 15,007 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $26.50, for a total transaction of $397,685.50. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Company insiders own 1.03% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Lincoln National

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of LNC. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP lifted its stake in shares of Lincoln National by 24.4% during the first quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 7,755,506 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $275,304,000 after buying an additional 1,522,179 shares during the period. State Street Corp grew its stake in Lincoln National by 3.6% in the 2nd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 6,106,302 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $215,858,000 after acquiring an additional 215,007 shares during the period. Jennison Associates LLC grew its stake in Lincoln National by 3.9% in the 1st quarter. Jennison Associates LLC now owns 3,823,152 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $135,722,000 after acquiring an additional 141,994 shares during the period. Bank of New York Mellon Corp purchased a new stake in Lincoln National in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $63,112,000. Finally, Bank of America Corp DE raised its holdings in Lincoln National by 11.5% in the 2nd quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 1,592,814 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $56,306,000 after acquiring an additional 163,969 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 72.81% of the company’s stock.

Lincoln National Company Profile

Lincoln National Corporation, operating under the Lincoln Financial Group brand, is a financial services company that provides insurance and retirement products primarily in the United States. Its businesses are designed to help individuals, employers and institutions manage financial protection, income and long-term savings needs.

The company offers life insurance and annuities, including products intended to provide death-benefit protection, retirement income and asset accumulation. Through its group protection business, Lincoln also provides employer-sponsored disability, dental, vision and leave-management solutions, as well as related workplace benefits and services.

Lincoln traces its history to the founding of The Lincoln National Life Insurance Company in Fort Wayne, Indiana, in 1905.