Lincoln Educational Services Corporation (NASDAQ:LINC) Receives Consensus Recommendation of "Moderate Buy" from Analysts

Key Points

• Analysts give Lincoln Educational Services a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" (five buys, one hold) with an average 12‑month price target of $43.67.
• Financials show momentum: LINC reported Q EPS of $0.50 vs. $0.42 expected and revenue of $142.87M vs. $131.70M, and set FY2026 guidance of $0.640–$0.740 EPS (consensus ~$0.71).
• Corporate ownership note: insiders sold 458,665 shares worth $16.06M in the last 90 days (insiders own 12.8%), while institutional investors hold 72.23% of the stock.

Lincoln Educational Services Corporation (NASDAQ:LINC - Get Free Report) has been given a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" by the six ratings firms that are currently covering the company, MarketBeat reports. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold recommendation and five have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average 12-month price target among analysts that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $43.6667.

Several brokerages recently weighed in on LINC. Griffin Securities set a $38.00 target price on Lincoln Educational Services in a research note on Tuesday, February 24th. Wall Street Zen downgraded Lincoln Educational Services from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Monday, February 23rd. Lake Street Capital increased their target price on Lincoln Educational Services from $35.00 to $44.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, March 20th. Rosenblatt Securities increased their target price on Lincoln Educational Services from $39.00 to $45.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, March 20th. Finally, Northland Securities set a $44.00 target price on Lincoln Educational Services in a research note on Thursday, April 9th.

Lincoln Educational Services Stock Performance

LINC opened at $40.93 on Monday. The company has a market cap of $1.30 billion, a PE ratio of 64.97, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.84 and a beta of 0.77. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $38.83 and a 200-day moving average of $28.97. Lincoln Educational Services has a 52-week low of $17.29 and a 52-week high of $42.85. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.15, a quick ratio of 0.82 and a current ratio of 0.86.

Lincoln Educational Services (NASDAQ:LINC - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Monday, February 23rd. The company reported $0.50 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.42 by $0.08. Lincoln Educational Services had a return on equity of 15.24% and a net margin of 3.86%.The firm had revenue of $142.87 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $131.70 million. Lincoln Educational Services has set its FY 2026 guidance at 0.640-0.740 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Lincoln Educational Services will post 0.71 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, COO Chad D. Nyce sold 8,450 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $36.50, for a total transaction of $308,425.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief operating officer owned 174,206 shares in the company, valued at $6,358,519. This represents a 4.63% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, Director Michael A. Plater sold 17,256 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $35.73, for a total value of $616,556.88. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 17,568 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $627,704.64. This trade represents a 49.55% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold 458,665 shares of company stock worth $16,061,744 in the last 90 days. 12.80% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Lincoln Educational Services

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in LINC. AQR Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in Lincoln Educational Services in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $213,000. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. raised its holdings in Lincoln Educational Services by 4.5% in the 1st quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 15,657 shares of the company's stock valued at $248,000 after acquiring an additional 681 shares in the last quarter. Empowered Funds LLC raised its holdings in Lincoln Educational Services by 1.9% in the 1st quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 47,648 shares of the company's stock valued at $756,000 after acquiring an additional 879 shares in the last quarter. Strs Ohio acquired a new position in Lincoln Educational Services in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $48,000. Finally, Legal & General Group Plc raised its holdings in Lincoln Educational Services by 156.1% in the 2nd quarter. Legal & General Group Plc now owns 5,740 shares of the company's stock valued at $132,000 after acquiring an additional 3,499 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 72.23% of the company's stock.

Lincoln Educational Services Company Profile

Lincoln Educational Services Corporation is a publicly traded provider of career-focused post-secondary vocational education in the United States. Operating under the Lincoln Tech and Lincoln Culinary Institute brands, the company delivers hands-on technical instruction across high-growth industries. Its mission centers on equipping students with practical skills and industry credentials designed to meet employer needs.

The company's program offerings span automotive technology, skilled trades, health sciences, information technology, culinary arts and public safety.

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