Lincoln Educational Services (NASDAQ:LINC) Reaches New 12-Month High - Here's What Happened

Key Points

• Lincoln Educational Services (NASDAQ:LINC) hit a new 52-week high on Monday, trading as high as $47.93 and last changing hands near $48.81.
• Recent earnings were strong, with the company posting EPS of $0.50 versus estimates of $0.42 and revenue of $142.87 million, ahead of expectations.
• Analyst sentiment remains mostly positive despite a few downgrades: the stock carries a Moderate Buy consensus, with five Buy ratings and an average price target of $43.67.

Lincoln Educational Services Corporation (NASDAQ:LINC - Get Free Report) reached a new 52-week high on Monday . The company traded as high as $47.93 and last traded at $48.8070, with a volume of 44217 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $44.75.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms have recently weighed in on LINC. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Lincoln Educational Services from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Monday, February 23rd. Zacks Research cut shares of Lincoln Educational Services from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 10th. Barrington Research lifted their price objective on shares of Lincoln Educational Services from $38.00 to $45.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Friday, March 20th. Northland Securities set a $44.00 price objective on shares of Lincoln Educational Services in a research note on Thursday, April 9th. Finally, Rosenblatt Securities lifted their price objective on shares of Lincoln Educational Services from $39.00 to $45.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, March 20th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $43.67.

Lincoln Educational Services Price Performance

The business's 50 day moving average is $39.54 and its 200-day moving average is $29.46. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.51 billion, a P/E ratio of 75.12, a PEG ratio of 4.20 and a beta of 0.77. The company has a quick ratio of 0.82, a current ratio of 0.86 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.15.

Lincoln Educational Services (NASDAQ:LINC - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Monday, February 23rd. The company reported $0.50 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.42 by $0.08. The business had revenue of $142.87 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations 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, sell-side analysts predict that Lincoln Educational Services Corporation will post 0.71 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at Lincoln Educational Services

In other Lincoln Educational Services news, Director Michael A. Plater sold 17,256 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Monday, March 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $35.73, for a total transaction of $616,556.88. Following the sale, the director owned 17,568 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $627,704.64. The trade was a 49.55% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, COO Chad D. Nyce sold 8,450 shares of the business's stock in a transaction 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 sale, the chief operating officer directly owned 174,206 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,358,519. The trade was a 4.63% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 458,665 shares of company stock worth $16,061,744. Corporate insiders own 12.80% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Lincoln Educational Services

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of LINC. State of Alaska Department of Revenue acquired a new position in shares of Lincoln Educational Services during the third quarter worth $35,000. Royal Bank of Canada lifted its holdings in shares of Lincoln Educational Services by 246.7% during the fourth quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 1,536 shares of the company's stock worth $38,000 after purchasing an additional 1,093 shares during the period. Strs Ohio acquired a new position in shares of Lincoln Educational Services during the first quarter worth $48,000. State of Wyoming acquired a new position in shares of Lincoln Educational Services during the third quarter worth $54,000. Finally, Raymond James Financial Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Lincoln Educational Services during the second quarter worth $116,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 72.23% of the company's stock.

About Lincoln Educational Services

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.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.