Lincoln Educational Services (NASDAQ:LINC) Shares Gap Up - Time to Buy?

Key Points

• Lincoln Educational Services shares saw a significant price jump, opening at $25.50 after a previous close of $23.75, with the last traded price at $22.14.
• Multiple analysts have upgraded their ratings on Lincoln Educational Services, with price target increases ranging from $21.00 to $26.00, indicating strong buy sentiment.
• Insider selling activity was noted, including a substantial sale by Director Carlton Rose of 30,000 shares, reducing his ownership in the company significantly.

Lincoln Educational Services Corporation (NASDAQ:LINC - Get Free Report)'s share price gapped up prior to trading on Monday . The stock had previously closed at $23.75, but opened at $25.50. Lincoln Educational Services shares last traded at $22.14, with a volume of 76,501 shares changing hands.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts have weighed in on the stock. Rosenblatt Securities increased their price target on shares of Lincoln Educational Services from $24.00 to $25.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, May 13th. Lake Street Capital increased their price target on shares of Lincoln Educational Services from $21.00 to $26.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, May 13th. B. Riley reissued a "buy" rating on shares of Lincoln Educational Services in a report on Tuesday, May 13th. Northland Securities began coverage on shares of Lincoln Educational Services in a report on Thursday, April 24th. They set an "outperform" rating and a $24.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Northland Capmk raised shares of Lincoln Educational Services to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Thursday, April 24th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, five have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Lincoln Educational Services currently has an average rating of "Buy" and a consensus target price of $24.60.

Lincoln Educational Services Price Performance

The business's 50 day moving average is $22.78 and its 200-day moving average is $19.44. The firm has a market capitalization of $668.16 million, a P/E ratio of 54.48, a PEG ratio of 2.20 and a beta of 1.50. The company has a quick ratio of 1.01, a current ratio of 1.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17.

Lincoln Educational Services (NASDAQ:LINC - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Monday, May 12th. The company reported $0.11 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.04 by $0.07. Lincoln Educational Services had a net margin of 2.65% and a return on equity of 10.88%. The firm had revenue of $117.51 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $114.55 million. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Lincoln Educational Services Corporation will post 0.54 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Lincoln Educational Services

In other Lincoln Educational Services news, Director Carlton Rose sold 30,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred 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 sale, the director owned 15,295 shares in the company, valued at $361,420.85. This trade represents a 66.23% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, COO Chad D. Nyce sold 6,200 shares of Lincoln Educational Services stock in a transaction on Friday, June 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $22.93, for a total transaction of $142,166.00. Following the transaction, the chief operating officer owned 170,209 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,902,892.37. This trade represents a 3.51% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 51,200 shares of company stock worth $1,172,166 over the last quarter. Corporate insiders own 16.80% 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. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Lincoln Educational Services by 1.1% during the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 1,418,725 shares of the company's stock worth $22,444,000 after purchasing an additional 14,772 shares during the period. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted its holdings in shares of Lincoln Educational Services by 190.5% during the fourth quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 115,177 shares of the company's stock worth $1,822,000 after purchasing an additional 75,531 shares during the period. Trexquant Investment LP acquired a new position in shares of Lincoln Educational Services during the fourth quarter worth $382,000. Wells Fargo & Company MN lifted its holdings in shares of Lincoln Educational Services by 27.8% during the fourth quarter. Wells Fargo & Company MN now owns 15,326 shares of the company's stock worth $242,000 after purchasing an additional 3,338 shares during the period. Finally, Russell Investments Group Ltd. lifted its holdings in Lincoln Educational Services by 1.0% in the fourth quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 212,923 shares of the company's stock valued at $3,368,000 after buying an additional 2,195 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 72.23% of the company's stock.

Lincoln Educational Services Company Profile

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.

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