Lincoln Educational Services (NASDAQ:LINC) Sets New 1-Year High - Time to Buy?

Key Points

• Lincoln Educational Services (LINC) hit a new 52-week high, trading as high as $43.21 (last $42.68) on strong volume and is up about 6.7%, with a market capitalization near $1.39 billion.
• Analyst sentiment is largely positive—five Buys and one Hold—with multiple firms raising targets to $44–$46 and a consensus price target around $43.67.
• The company beat quarterly expectations (EPS $0.50 vs. $0.42) and set FY2026 guidance of $0.64–$0.74, roughly matching analysts' forecast of $0.71 for the year.

Lincoln Educational Services Corporation (NASDAQ:LINC - Get Free Report) shares reached a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Tuesday . The stock traded as high as $43.21 and last traded at $42.68, with a volume of 181881 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $41.06.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms have issued reports on LINC. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Lincoln Educational Services from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Monday, February 23rd. Rosenblatt Securities raised their price target on shares of Lincoln Educational Services from $39.00 to $45.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, March 20th. Griffin Securities set a $38.00 price target on shares of Lincoln Educational Services in a research note on Tuesday, February 24th. Lake Street Capital raised their price target on shares of Lincoln Educational Services from $35.00 to $44.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, March 20th. Finally, B. Riley Financial raised their price target on shares of Lincoln Educational Services from $38.00 to $46.00 and gave the stock 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 issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Lincoln Educational Services currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $43.67.

Lincoln Educational Services Stock Up 6.7%

The business's 50 day moving average price is $38.83 and its 200-day moving average price is $28.97. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.39 billion, a PE ratio of 69.64, a P/E/G ratio of 3.84 and a beta of 0.77. 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 released its quarterly earnings results 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 the consensus estimate 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 forecast that Lincoln Educational Services Corporation will post 0.71 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Lincoln Educational Services

In other Lincoln Educational Services news, Director Sylvia Jean Young sold 7,959 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, March 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $35.81, for a total transaction of $285,011.79. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 12,697 shares in the company, valued at $454,679.57. The trade was a 38.53% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, Director Michael A. Plater sold 17,256 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $35.73, for a total transaction of $616,556.88. Following the transaction, the director owned 17,568 shares of the company's stock, valued at $627,704.64. This trade represents a 49.55% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 458,665 shares of company stock worth $16,061,744. 12.80% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of Lincoln Educational Services

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its position in shares of Lincoln Educational Services by 3.6% during the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 1,682,345 shares of the company's stock worth $39,535,000 after buying an additional 58,582 shares during the last quarter. Alyeska Investment Group L.P. lifted its position in shares of Lincoln Educational Services by 12.2% during the 4th quarter. Alyeska Investment Group L.P. now owns 1,626,623 shares of the company's stock worth $39,283,000 after buying an additional 177,018 shares during the last quarter. Wasatch Advisors LP lifted its position in shares of Lincoln Educational Services by 4.8% during the 3rd quarter. Wasatch Advisors LP now owns 1,168,375 shares of the company's stock worth $27,457,000 after buying an additional 53,281 shares during the last quarter. Needham Investment Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Lincoln Educational Services by 30.1% during the 4th quarter. Needham Investment Management LLC now owns 1,125,000 shares of the company's stock worth $27,169,000 after buying an additional 260,000 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Next Century Growth Investors LLC lifted its position in shares of Lincoln Educational Services by 4.1% during the 4th quarter. Next Century Growth Investors LLC now owns 791,271 shares of the company's stock worth $19,109,000 after buying an additional 31,370 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors 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.

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