Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA Has $262.19 Million Position in Lincoln National Corporation $LNC

Key Points

• Massachusetts Financial Services Co. trimmed its stake in Lincoln National by 1.1% to 5,887,841 shares (about $262.19 million, or 3.10% ownership); overall institutional investors hold 72.81% of the company, with Vanguard owning ~19.9M shares (~$802.7M).
• Q4 results topped estimates—EPS $2.21 vs. $1.86 expected and revenue $4.89B (slightly above estimates) though revenue was down 2.8% YoY—and the company declared a $0.45 quarterly dividend (annualized $1.80) for a ~5.3% yield.
• Insiders have been net sellers (21,050 shares sold last quarter) and analysts’ consensus is a "Hold" with an average target of $44.38, while the stock trades near $34.24 (market cap ~$6.51B, P/E 6.45).

Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA lowered its stake in shares of Lincoln National Corporation (NYSE:LNC - Free Report) by 1.1% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 5,887,841 shares of the financial services provider's stock after selling 64,325 shares during the period. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA owned about 3.10% of Lincoln National worth $262,186,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Lincoln National by 6.3% during the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 19,903,720 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $802,717,000 after buying an additional 1,183,934 shares during the period. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of Lincoln National by 145.5% during the 3rd quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC now owns 116,116 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $4,683,000 after buying an additional 68,827 shares during the period. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC boosted its stake in shares of Lincoln National by 30.3% during the 3rd quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 203,931 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $8,180,000 after buying an additional 47,419 shares during the period. Commonwealth Equity Services LLC boosted its stake in shares of Lincoln National by 101.9% during the 3rd quarter. Commonwealth Equity Services LLC now owns 285,105 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $11,498,000 after buying an additional 143,862 shares during the period. Finally, Impax Asset Management Group plc acquired a new stake in shares of Lincoln National during the 3rd quarter valued at $1,052,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 72.81% of the company's stock.

Lincoln National Stock Down 1.9%

Lincoln National stock opened at $34.24 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $6.51 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 6.45, a P/E/G ratio of 1.55 and a beta of 1.23. 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 Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $28.23 and a fifty-two week high of $46.82. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $36.36 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $39.90.

Lincoln National (NYSE:LNC - Get Free Report) last announced 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. The business had revenue of $4.89 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.85 billion. Lincoln National had a net margin of 6.46% and a return on equity of 18.52%. The firm's revenue for the quarter was down 2.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $1.91 earnings per share. As a group, analysts forecast that Lincoln National Corporation will post 7.69 earnings per share for the current year.

Lincoln National Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 1st. Shareholders 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 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.3%. Lincoln National's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 33.90%.

Insider Transactions at Lincoln National

In other news, 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 transaction of $261,920.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 198,159 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,487,725.66. The trade was a 3.88% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, EVP James Waltman Reid sold 3,050 shares of the company's 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 transaction, 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. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 21,050 shares of company stock valued at $734,041. 0.51% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages recently issued reports on LNC. National Bank Financial set a $45.00 price objective on shares of Lincoln National in a report on Thursday, January 8th. TD Cowen decreased their price objective 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. Mizuho began coverage on shares of Lincoln National in a report on Tuesday, December 16th. They issued an "outperform" rating and a $52.00 price objective for the company. Piper Sandler upped their price objective on shares of Lincoln National from $42.00 to $48.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Tuesday, December 23rd. Finally, Morgan Stanley decreased their price objective on shares of Lincoln National from $50.00 to $46.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, March 3rd. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have given a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Lincoln National presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $44.38.

Lincoln National 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.

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