UBS Group Cuts Lincoln National (NYSE:LNC) Price Target to $37.00

Lincoln National (NYSE:LNC) had its target price trimmed by UBS Group from $43.00 to $37.00 in a research report sent to investors on Thursday morning, MarketBeat reports. The firm currently has a neutral rating on the financial services provider’s stock.

Several other research analysts also recently issued reports on the stock. TD Cowen lowered their price target on shares of Lincoln National from $43.00 to $38.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a report on Monday, March 9th. Jefferies Financial Group upped their price target on shares of Lincoln National from $52.00 to $59.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, December 15th. Barclays lowered their price target on shares of Lincoln National from $44.00 to $42.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reiterated a “moderate buy” rating and set a $43.00 price target on shares of Lincoln National in a report on Thursday, March 26th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company upgraded shares of Lincoln National from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and upped their price target for the stock from $41.00 to $48.00 in a report on Wednesday, February 25th. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have given a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $44.38.

Lincoln National Stock Down 1.9%

NYSE LNC opened at $34.24 on Thursday. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $36.36 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $39.90. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.59, a current ratio of 0.27 and a quick ratio of 0.27. Lincoln National has a fifty-two week low of $28.23 and a fifty-two week high of $46.82. The stock has a market capitalization of $6.51 billion, a PE ratio of 6.45, a PEG ratio of 1.55 and a beta of 1.23.

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

Lincoln National Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 1st. Investors of record on Friday, April 10th will be issued a $0.45 dividend. This represents a $1.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 5.3%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, April 10th. Lincoln National’s dividend payout ratio is presently 33.90%.

Insider Activity at Lincoln National

In related news, EVP Sean Woodroffe sold 8,000 shares of the stock in a transaction 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 directly owned 198,159 shares in the company, valued at $6,487,725.66. This represents a 3.88% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP James Waltman Reid sold 3,050 shares of the stock in a transaction 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 completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 118,567 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,957,286.27. The trade was a 2.51% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold 21,050 shares of company stock worth $734,041 over the last three months. Company insiders own 0.51% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Lincoln National

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. V Square Quantitative Management LLC acquired a new stake in Lincoln National in the fourth quarter valued at $31,000. Transamerica Financial Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Lincoln National in the fourth quarter valued at $32,000. JPL Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in Lincoln National in the third quarter valued at $29,000. Salomon & Ludwin LLC acquired a new stake in Lincoln National in the third quarter valued at $32,000. Finally, Los Angeles Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in Lincoln National in the fourth quarter valued at $34,000. 72.81% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.