Lincoln National Corporation (NYSE:LNC) Stock Has Average Target Price of $48.67

Key Points

• Analyst sentiment is mixed: Thirteen firms give Lincoln National an average “Hold” rating, with a consensus 12-month price target of $48.67.
• Quarterly results were mixed: Revenue of $5.06 billion topped estimates, but adjusted EPS of $1.72 missed the $1.96 consensus and fell from $2.04 a year earlier.
• The company expects about $3 billion in Retirement Plan Services outflows in the fourth quarter, while it plans to resume share repurchases, starting with $50 million.

Lincoln National Corporation (NYSE:LNC - Get Free Report) has earned an average rating of "Hold" from the thirteen research firms that are covering the stock, Marketbeat reports. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, five have given a hold recommendation and seven have assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average twelve-month target price among brokerages that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $48.67.

Several research firms have recently weighed in on LNC. National Bank Financial set a $49.00 price objective on shares of Lincoln National in a research report on Wednesday, October 7th. Mizuho dropped their target price on shares of Lincoln National from $53.00 to $49.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, October 7th. Weiss Ratings reissued a "buy (b)" rating on shares of Lincoln National in a research note on Friday, October 30th. Bank of America restated a "neutral" rating and set a $47.00 target price on shares of Lincoln National in a report on Thursday, July 30th. Finally, UBS Group raised their target price on shares of Lincoln National from $44.00 to $46.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Tuesday, October 6th.

Key Stories Impacting Lincoln National

Here are the key news stories impacting Lincoln National this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Revenue was $5.06 billion, ahead of the $4.97 billion consensus, while sales growth helped offset margin pressure. Reports also said quarterly profit rose. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Lincoln Financial said capital returns are resuming, with share repurchases expected to ramp after an initial $50 million start. Buybacks can support shareholder returns and signal confidence in capital generation. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Adjusted earnings were $1.72 per share, below the $1.96 analyst estimate and down from $2.04 a year earlier. The earnings shortfall may weigh on sentiment despite the revenue beat. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: The company anticipates about $3 billion in Retirement Plan Services net outflows in the fourth quarter. That expected asset withdrawal, alongside margin pressure, could challenge future growth and profitability. Read More.

Lincoln National Trading Up 0.0%

Shares of Lincoln National stock opened at $40.07 on Monday. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $41.52 and a 200-day simple moving average of $39.02. Lincoln National has a fifty-two week low of $32.18 and a fifty-two week high of $47.67. The firm has a market cap of $7.63 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 2.47, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.13 and a beta of 1.16. The company has a quick ratio of 0.25, a current ratio of 0.25 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.73.

Lincoln National (NYSE:LNC - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, November 5th. The financial services provider reported $1.72 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $1.96 by ($0.24). Lincoln National had a return on equity of 17.02% and a net margin of 16.36%. The firm had revenue of $5.06 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.97 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $2.04 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts forecast that Lincoln National will post 7.90 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, EVP Sean Woodroffe sold 11,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, August 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $45.28, for a total transaction of $498,080.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 119,947 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,431,200.16. This represents a 8.40% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director Gary Kelly sold 15,007 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $26.50, for a total value of $397,685.50. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. 1.03% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Lincoln National

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. boosted its position in Lincoln National by 73.8% during the 3rd quarter. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. now owns 266,680 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $10,737,000 after acquiring an additional 113,243 shares during the period. State Street Corp increased its holdings in shares of 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 valued at $215,858,000 after purchasing an additional 215,007 shares during the period. Susquehanna Fundamental Investments LLC increased its holdings in shares of Lincoln National by 557.5% in the 2nd quarter. Susquehanna Fundamental Investments LLC now owns 158,004 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $5,585,000 after purchasing an additional 133,973 shares during the period. Bank of New York Mellon Corp purchased a new stake in shares of Lincoln National in the second quarter worth approximately $63,112,000. Finally, Sei Investments Co. lifted its position in shares of Lincoln National by 9.5% in the first quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 522,832 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $18,561,000 after purchasing an additional 45,549 shares in the last quarter. 72.81% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Lincoln National Company Profile

Lincoln National Corporation, operating as Lincoln Financial Group, is a financial services and insurance company whose businesses focus on protecting income and helping individuals and employers plan for financial needs. Its offerings include life insurance, annuities, workplace benefits and retirement plan services.

The company serves individuals, employers and retirement plan participants primarily in the United States. Its workplace protection products include benefits such as disability and life insurance, while its retirement services support employers and employees with workplace savings plans.

Founded in 1905 as The Lincoln National Life Insurance Company, the business takes its name from Abraham Lincoln.

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