Lincoln Educational Services (NASDAQ:LINC) Hits New 12-Month High - Should You Buy?

Key Points

• Lincoln Educational Services hit a 52-week high intraday at $38.05 (last $37.475), with a market cap of about $1.19 billion and a high valuation (PE ~59.5).
• The company posted an EPS beat of $0.50 vs. $0.42 and revenue of $142.87M vs. $131.7M, and issued FY2026 guidance of $0.64–$0.74 per share.
• There has been notable insider selling—450,215 shares (~$15.75M) sold in the last 90 days—despite roughly 72% institutional ownership, which could be a red flag for some investors.

Lincoln Educational Services Corporation (NASDAQ:LINC - Get Free Report) shares hit a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Thursday . The company traded as high as $38.05 and last traded at $37.4750, with a volume of 167902 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $36.86.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Lincoln Educational Services from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "hold (c+)" rating in a report on Wednesday, February 25th. Griffin Securities set a $38.00 target price on shares of Lincoln Educational Services in a research report on Tuesday, February 24th. Barrington Research set a $38.00 price target on shares of Lincoln Educational Services in a research note on Monday, February 23rd. Lake Street Capital boosted their price target on Lincoln Educational Services from $26.00 to $35.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, February 24th. Finally, Zacks Research cut Lincoln Educational Services from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 10th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have given a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Lincoln Educational Services currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $37.33.

Lincoln Educational Services Stock Up 1.8%

The business's 50-day simple moving average is $28.97 and its 200 day simple moving average is $24.07. The firm has a market cap of $1.19 billion, a PE ratio of 59.50, a P/E/G ratio of 3.46 and a beta of 0.92. The company has a current ratio of 0.86, a quick ratio of 0.82 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.15.

Lincoln Educational Services (NASDAQ:LINC - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Monday, February 23rd. The company reported $0.50 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.42 by $0.08. The company had revenue of $142.87 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $131.70 million. Lincoln Educational Services had a net margin of 3.86% and a return on equity of 15.24%. Lincoln Educational Services has set its FY 2026 guidance at 0.640-0.740 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Lincoln Educational Services Corporation will post 0.54 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Transactions at Lincoln Educational Services

In related news, Director Sylvia Jean Young sold 7,959 shares of Lincoln Educational Services stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, March 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $35.81, for a total transaction of $285,011.79. Following the transaction, the director owned 12,697 shares in the company, valued at approximately $454,679.57. This trade represents a 38.53% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, insider Juniper Investment Company, Ll sold 275,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $34.55, for a total value of $9,501,250.00. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 2,088,311 shares in the company, valued at approximately $72,151,145.05. The trade was a 11.64% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold a total of 450,215 shares of company stock worth $15,753,319 in the last ninety days. Insiders own 13.60% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Lincoln Educational Services

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Invesco Ltd. increased its holdings in shares of Lincoln Educational Services by 275.0% in the 4th quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 178,892 shares of the company's stock valued at $4,320,000 after acquiring an additional 131,192 shares during the period. Pillsbury Lake Capital LLC acquired a new stake in Lincoln Educational Services during the fourth quarter worth about $17,028,000. Wellington Management Group LLP boosted its holdings in Lincoln Educational Services by 18.7% in the fourth quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 588,511 shares of the company's stock worth $14,213,000 after purchasing an additional 92,800 shares during the period. Millennium Management LLC boosted its stake in Lincoln Educational Services by 1,084.2% during the 4th quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 208,912 shares of the company's stock valued at $5,045,000 after purchasing an additional 191,270 shares during the period. Finally, Manatuck Hill Partners LLC lifted its holdings in Lincoln Educational Services by 63.2% in the fourth quarter. Manatuck Hill Partners LLC now owns 180,675 shares of the company's stock worth $4,363,000 after purchasing an additional 70,000 shares during the period. 72.23% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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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