Lincoln Educational Services (NASDAQ:LINC) Reaches New 12-Month High on Earnings Beat

Key Points

• Lincoln Educational Services hit a new 52-week high of $25.76, currently trading at $20.17 with over 1.6 million shares exchanged.
• Analyst ratings for Lincoln Educational Services are generally positive, with an average target price of $24.60 and a consensus rating of "Buy".
• The company reported quarterly earnings of $0.11 per share, surpassing expectations, and has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17, indicating strong financial health.

Shares of Lincoln Educational Services Corporation (NASDAQ:LINC - Get Free Report) reached a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Tuesday following a stronger than expected earnings report. The stock traded as high as $25.76 and last traded at $20.17, with a volume of 1623192 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $23.75.

The company reported $0.09 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.04 by $0.05. The firm had revenue of $116.47 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $113.96 million. Lincoln Educational Services had a net margin of 3.05% and a return on equity of 11.20%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages have issued reports on LINC. Zacks Research raised shares of Lincoln Educational Services to a "hold" rating in a report on Friday, August 8th. Rosenblatt Securities increased their target price on shares of Lincoln Educational Services from $25.00 to $27.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday. Northland Securities began coverage on shares of Lincoln Educational Services in a report on Thursday, April 24th. They issued an "outperform" rating and a $24.00 target price for the company. B. Riley reaffirmed a "buy" rating on shares of Lincoln Educational Services in a report on Tuesday, May 13th. Finally, Lake Street Capital raised their price objective on shares of Lincoln Educational Services from $21.00 to $26.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 13th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, five have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $25.00.

Insider Buying and Selling at Lincoln Educational Services

In other Lincoln Educational Services news, COO Chad D. Nyce sold 6,200 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Friday, June 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $22.93, for a total value of $142,166.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief operating officer directly owned 170,209 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,902,892.37. The trade was a 3.51% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director Carlton Rose sold 30,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Friday, May 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $23.63, for a total value of $708,900.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 15,295 shares of the company's stock, valued at $361,420.85. This trade represents a 66.23% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 13.60% of the company's stock.

Institutional Trading of Lincoln Educational Services

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC increased its holdings in shares of Lincoln Educational Services by 1,081.1% during the 2nd quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 5,681 shares of the company's stock worth $131,000 after buying an additional 5,200 shares during the last quarter. Cannell Capital LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Lincoln Educational Services during the 2nd quarter worth $3,812,000. Wasatch Advisors LP boosted its position in Lincoln Educational Services by 22.1% during the 2nd quarter. Wasatch Advisors LP now owns 1,115,094 shares of the company's stock worth $25,703,000 after purchasing an additional 202,170 shares during the period. Tidal Investments LLC purchased a new stake in Lincoln Educational Services during the 2nd quarter worth $305,000. Finally, Militia Capital Partners LP boosted its position in Lincoln Educational Services by 26.1% during the 2nd quarter. Militia Capital Partners LP now owns 31,858 shares of the company's stock worth $734,000 after purchasing an additional 6,600 shares during the period. 72.23% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Lincoln Educational Services Trading Down 0.8%

The business's 50-day moving average is $22.46 and its two-hundred day moving average is $19.53. The company has a current ratio of 0.90, a quick ratio of 1.01 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.24. The stock has a market capitalization of $601.37 million, a PE ratio of 41.35, a PEG ratio of 1.69 and a beta of 1.50.

About Lincoln Educational Services

Lincoln Educational Services Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, provides various career-oriented post-secondary education services to high school graduates and working adults in the United States. The company operates in two segments, Campus Operations and Transitional. It offers associate's degree, and diploma and certificate programs in automotive technology; skilled trades programs, including electrical, heating and air conditioning repair, welding, computerized numerical control, and electrical and electronic systems technology; health science programs comprising licensed practical nurse, registered nurse, dental assistant, medical assistant, medical administrative assistant, and claims examiner; hospitality service and information technology programs, such as culinary, therapeutic massage, cosmetology, aesthetics, and computer systems support technicians.