Lincoln National Corporation (NYSE:LNC) Given Consensus Recommendation of “Hold” by Brokerages

Lincoln National Corporation (NYSE:LNC) has earned a consensus recommendation of “Hold” from the fifteen ratings firms that are currently covering the company, Marketbeat reports. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation, seven have given a hold recommendation and six have assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average 12 month target price among brokers that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $45.3846.

LNC has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods restated a “moderate buy” rating and set a $43.00 price objective on shares of Lincoln National in a research note on Thursday. Piper Sandler upped their target price on 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 increased their target price on Lincoln National from $52.00 to $59.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, December 15th. Wells Fargo & Company upgraded Lincoln National from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and raised their price target for the stock from $41.00 to $48.00 in a research report on Wednesday, February 25th. Finally, Mizuho began coverage on Lincoln National in a research note on Tuesday, December 16th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $52.00 price target for the company.

Lincoln National Stock Performance

NYSE LNC opened at $34.20 on Friday. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $37.57 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $40.31. Lincoln National has a 12-month low of $27.58 and a 12-month high of $46.82. The company has a market capitalization of $6.50 billion, a P/E ratio of 6.44, a P/E/G ratio of 1.53 and a beta of 1.30. The company has a quick ratio of 0.27, a current ratio of 0.27 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.59.

Lincoln National (NYSE:LNC) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, February 12th. The financial services provider reported $2.21 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate 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 for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.85 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $1.91 earnings per share. The business’s revenue for the quarter was down 2.8% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts anticipate that Lincoln National will post 7.69 earnings per share for the current year.

Lincoln National Dividend Announcement

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

Insider Transactions at Lincoln National

In related news, EVP James Waltman Reid sold 3,050 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $41.81, for a total transaction of $127,520.50. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 118,567 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,957,286.27. This trade represents a 2.51% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP Sean Woodroffe sold 8,000 shares of Lincoln National stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $32.74, for a total transaction of $261,920.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 198,159 shares in the company, valued at $6,487,725.66. This trade represents a 3.88% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 21,050 shares of company stock valued at $734,041. Company insiders own 0.51% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Lincoln National

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. V Square Quantitative Management LLC acquired a new stake in Lincoln National in the fourth quarter valued at about $31,000. Transamerica Financial Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Lincoln National during the fourth quarter worth about $32,000. JPL Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in Lincoln National during the third quarter worth about $29,000. Salomon & Ludwin LLC bought a new position in shares of Lincoln National in the third quarter worth about $32,000. Finally, Advisors Asset Management Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Lincoln National in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 72.81% of the company’s stock.

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.