Lincoln Educational Services Co. (NASDAQ:LINC) Stake Lifted by Next Century Growth Investors LLC

Next Century Growth Investors LLC raised its stake in Lincoln Educational Services Co. (NASDAQ:LINC - Free Report) by 17.9% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 664,148 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 100,963 shares during the quarter. Next Century Growth Investors LLC owned approximately 2.11% of Lincoln Educational Services worth $10,507,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Janus Henderson Group PLC acquired a new position in Lincoln Educational Services in the 3rd quarter valued at about $144,000. Wells Fargo & Company MN lifted its stake 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 valued at $242,000 after buying an additional 3,338 shares during the period. Sanctuary Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Lincoln Educational Services during the fourth quarter worth approximately $288,000. Trexquant Investment LP acquired a new position in Lincoln Educational Services in the 4th quarter valued at $382,000. Finally, Barclays PLC lifted its stake in shares of Lincoln Educational Services by 259.0% during the 3rd quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 34,220 shares of the company's stock worth $408,000 after purchasing an additional 24,688 shares during the period. 72.23% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts have issued reports on the company. Rosenblatt Securities raised their price target on Lincoln Educational Services from $20.00 to $24.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 25th. B. Riley started coverage on shares of Lincoln Educational Services in a report on Friday, March 28th. They issued a "buy" rating and a $23.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Barrington Research reaffirmed an "outperform" rating and issued a $22.00 target price on shares of Lincoln Educational Services in a research report on Wednesday, March 26th. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, three have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Buy" and an average target price of $21.00.

Lincoln Educational Services Stock Up 1.7 %

NASDAQ:LINC traded up $0.30 during trading hours on Thursday, hitting $17.50. The stock had a trading volume of 80,592 shares, compared to its average volume of 145,845. The company has a market cap of $552.72 million, a PE ratio of 54.72, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.70 and a beta of 1.57. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $16.56 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $15.49. The company has a current ratio of 1.57, a quick ratio of 1.53 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17. Lincoln Educational Services Co. has a 1-year low of $9.51 and a 1-year high of $19.79.

Lincoln Educational Services (NASDAQ:LINC - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Monday, February 24th. The company reported $0.31 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.20 by $0.11. Lincoln Educational Services had a net margin of 2.33% and a return on equity of 10.60%. The company had revenue of $119.37 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $110.50 million. Analysts predict that Lincoln Educational Services Co. will post 0.54 EPS for the current year.

Lincoln Educational Services 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.