Lincoln National (NYSE:LNC) Price Target Raised to $46.00 at Evercore ISI

Key Points

• Evercore ISI has raised the price target for Lincoln National (NYSE:LNC) from $45.00 to $46.00, indicating a potential upside of 15.63% from its last closing price.
• Multiple analysts have offered varied price targets, with Keefe, Bruyette & Woods increasing their target to $42.00 and Morgan Stanley reducing theirs to $53.00, showcasing differing perspectives on the stock's performance.
• Lincoln National reported $2.36 earnings per share for the last quarter, surpassing expectations, though its revenue of $4.04 billion fell short of analyst estimates.

Lincoln National (NYSE:LNC - Get Free Report) had its price objective boosted by research analysts at Evercore ISI from $45.00 to $46.00 in a research report issued on Thursday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has an "in-line" rating on the financial services provider's stock. Evercore ISI's price objective would indicate a potential upside of 15.63% from the company's previous close.

LNC has been the topic of a number of other reports. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods increased their price target on shares of Lincoln National from $40.00 to $42.00 and gave the company a "market perform" rating in a research report on Monday, August 4th. Morgan Stanley decreased their target price on shares of Lincoln National from $58.00 to $53.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday. Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on shares of Lincoln National from $37.00 to $38.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Wednesday. Barclays raised their price target on Lincoln National from $42.00 to $46.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a report on Wednesday. Finally, National Bankshares set a $53.00 target price on Lincoln National in a report on Tuesday. One analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, nine have issued a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Reduce" and an average price target of $43.00.

Lincoln National Trading Down 0.2%

Lincoln National stock traded down $0.10 during trading hours on Thursday, reaching $39.78. 310,133 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,937,660. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.67, a quick ratio of 0.26 and a current ratio of 0.26. Lincoln National has a fifty-two week low of $27.58 and a fifty-two week high of $43.66. The firm has a market capitalization of $7.54 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 6.94, a PEG ratio of 0.53 and a beta of 1.43. The firm's 50 day moving average is $40.69 and its 200-day moving average is $35.87.

Lincoln National (NYSE:LNC - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, July 31st. The financial services provider reported $2.36 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.91 by $0.45. The company had revenue of $4.04 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.65 billion. Lincoln National had a net margin of 6.34% and a return on equity of 19.14%. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $1.87 EPS. On average, analysts predict that Lincoln National will post 7.69 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Lincoln National news, EVP John Christopher Kennedy sold 5,000 shares of Lincoln National stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $39.29, for a total value of $196,450.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 123,815 shares of the company's stock, valued at $4,864,691.35. The trade was a 3.88% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 0.51% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Lincoln National

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in LNC. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Lincoln National by 22.2% during the first quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC now owns 184,957 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $6,642,000 after purchasing an additional 33,644 shares in the last quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC grew its position in shares of Lincoln National by 34.1% during the first quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 204,010 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $7,346,000 after purchasing an additional 51,823 shares in the last quarter. Integrated Advisors Network LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Lincoln National during the first quarter worth about $293,000. DMC Group LLC grew its position in shares of Lincoln National by 47.1% during the first quarter. DMC Group LLC now owns 25,749 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $925,000 after purchasing an additional 8,250 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Smith Salley Wealth Management bought a new position in Lincoln National during the first quarter valued at approximately $268,000. 72.81% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Lincoln National Company Profile

Lincoln National Corporation, through its subsidiaries, operates multiple insurance and retirement businesses in the United States. It operates in four segments: Life Insurance, Annuities, Group Protection, and Retirement Plan Services. The Life Insurance segment provides life insurance products, including term insurance, universal life insurance (UL), indexed universal life insurance, variable universal life insurance (VUL), linked-benefit UL and VUL products, and critical illness and long-term care riders.

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