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

Lincoln National (NYSE:LNC) had its price target reduced by investment analysts at Barclays from $44.00 to $42.00 in a research report issued on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has an “equal weight” rating on the financial services provider’s stock. Barclays‘s target price points to a potential upside of 20.42% from the stock’s current price.

Several other brokerages also recently commented on LNC. National Bank Financial set a $45.00 price target on shares of Lincoln National in a research report on Thursday, January 8th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reiterated a “moderate buy” rating and set a $43.00 price objective on shares of Lincoln National in a research report on Thursday, March 26th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Lincoln National in a research note on Friday, March 27th. Mizuho began coverage on Lincoln National in a report on Tuesday, December 16th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $52.00 target price for the company. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company upgraded Lincoln National from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and lifted their price target for the company from $41.00 to $48.00 in a report on Wednesday, February 25th. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have given a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $44.77.

Lincoln National Trading Down 2.2%

Shares of LNC opened at $34.88 on Wednesday. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $36.51 and its 200 day moving average price is $39.95. The company has a current ratio of 0.27, a quick ratio of 0.27 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.59. The stock has a market capitalization of $6.63 billion, a P/E ratio of 6.57, a P/E/G ratio of 1.61 and a beta of 1.23. Lincoln National has a 1-year low of $28.23 and a 1-year high of $46.82.

Lincoln National (NYSE:LNC) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 12th. The financial services provider reported $2.21 EPS 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 analyst estimates of $4.85 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.91 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was down 2.8% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts expect that Lincoln National will post 7.69 earnings per share for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, EVP James Waltman Reid sold 3,050 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 18th. The stock was 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 of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,957,286.27. This trade represents a 2.51% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP Sean Woodroffe sold 8,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $32.74, for a total value of $261,920.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 198,159 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,487,725.66. This trade represents a 3.88% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold 21,050 shares of company stock valued at $734,041 over the last quarter. Insiders own 0.51% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Lincoln National

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in LNC. JPL Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Lincoln National in the third quarter worth $29,000. V Square Quantitative Management LLC acquired a new position in Lincoln National in the 4th quarter valued at $31,000. Salomon & Ludwin LLC acquired a new position in Lincoln National in the 3rd quarter valued at $32,000. Transamerica Financial Advisors LLC bought a new position in Lincoln National in the 4th quarter worth $32,000. Finally, Los Angeles Capital Management LLC bought a new position in Lincoln National in the 4th quarter worth $34,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 72.81% of the company’s stock.

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.