Lincoln National (NYSE:LNC) Price Target Raised to $47.00

Key Points

• Wells Fargo raised Lincoln National’s price target from $44 to $47 and kept an overweight rating, implying about 18% upside from the current share price.
• Other analysts were mixed but generally constructive, with recent targets ranging from $40 to $51; the stock’s overall consensus rating remains Hold with a consensus price target of $44.79.
• Lincoln National reported Q1 earnings of $1.66 per share, beating estimates, while revenue grew 13.1% year over year; the stock was trading around $39.81 on Thursday.

Lincoln National (NYSE:LNC - Get Free Report) had its price objective boosted by investment analysts at Wells Fargo & Company from $44.00 to $47.00 in a research note issued to investors on Thursday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has an "overweight" rating on the financial services provider's stock. Wells Fargo & Company's target price points to a potential upside of 18.06% from the company's current price.

Other equities analysts have also recently issued reports about the stock. National Bank Financial set a $51.00 target price on shares of Lincoln National in a research note on Thursday. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upped their price objective on shares of Lincoln National from $43.00 to $44.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 13th. Barclays upgraded Lincoln National from an "equal weight" rating to an "overweight" rating and raised their target price for the company from $42.00 to $45.00 in a research report on Monday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price target on Lincoln National from $42.00 to $40.00 and set an "underweight" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, May 7th. Finally, Morgan Stanley dropped their price objective on Lincoln National from $43.00 to $40.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, May 21st. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have assigned a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $44.79.

Lincoln National Stock Performance

NYSE LNC traded up $1.09 on Thursday, reaching $39.81. 951,893 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,038,489. Lincoln National has a fifty-two week low of $32.18 and a fifty-two week high of $46.82. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.65, a quick ratio of 0.25 and a current ratio of 0.25. The firm has a market cap of $7.61 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 4.62, a P/E/G ratio of 2.51 and a beta of 1.17. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $36.19 and a 200-day moving average price of $37.82.

Lincoln National (NYSE:LNC - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 7th. The financial services provider reported $1.66 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.58 by $0.08. The business had revenue of $4.87 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.93 billion. Lincoln National had a return on equity of 18.07% and a net margin of 9.17%.The company's revenue was up 13.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $1.60 EPS. Equities research analysts predict that Lincoln National will post 7.73 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP Craigt T. Beazer sold 30,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Friday, June 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $34.45, for a total value of $1,033,500.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 103,906 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $3,579,561.70. This represents a 22.40% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Corporate insiders own 1.03% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Lincoln National

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in LNC. JPL Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Lincoln National in the 3rd quarter valued at $29,000. V Square Quantitative Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Lincoln National during the fourth quarter valued at about $31,000. Transamerica Financial Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Lincoln National in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $32,000. NBT Bank N A NY boosted its position in shares of Lincoln National by 2,051.1% during the 1st quarter. NBT Bank N A NY now owns 968 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $34,000 after purchasing an additional 923 shares during the period. Finally, Los Angeles Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in Lincoln National in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $34,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 72.81% of the company's stock.

About Lincoln National

Lincoln National Corporation, doing business as Lincoln Financial Group, is a diversified financial services holding company focused on providing retirement, insurance, and wealth management solutions in the United States and select international markets. Headquartered in Radnor, Pennsylvania, the company operates through several business segments, including Retirement Plan Services, Life Insurance, and Group Protection. Its offerings are designed to help individuals, families, and institutions plan and prepare for their financial futures.

The Retirement Plan Services segment delivers recordkeeping, administrative services, and investment management for defined contribution and defined benefit plans.

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