Lincoln National (NYSE:LNC) Share Price Crosses Above 200 Day Moving Average - Here's Why

Key Points

• Lincoln National shares crossed above their 200-day moving average, reaching $41.28 and last trading near $40.98, compared with the $39.03 moving average.
• Analysts maintain a consensus “Hold” rating with an average price target of $47.62, although recent targets ranged from $42 to $57 and one firm upgraded the stock to “Buy.”
• The company exceeded quarterly earnings expectations with $2.24 in EPS and $4.93 billion in revenue, while declaring a $0.45 quarterly dividend that implies a 4.4% annual yield.

Lincoln National Corporation (NYSE:LNC - Get Free Report)'s stock price crossed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Monday. The stock has a 200-day moving average of $39.03 and traded as high as $41.28. Lincoln National shares last traded at $40.9840, with a volume of 1,894,236 shares trading hands.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms recently weighed in on LNC. Jefferies Financial Group upped their target price on shares of Lincoln National from $56.00 to $57.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, July 10th. National Bank Financial set a $50.00 price target on shares of Lincoln National in a report on Monday, August 24th. UBS Group boosted their price target on shares of Lincoln National from $39.00 to $44.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 8th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price target on shares of Lincoln National from $40.00 to $42.00 and gave the stock an "underweight" rating in a report on Tuesday, July 21st. Finally, Weiss Ratings upgraded Lincoln National from a "hold (c)" rating to a "buy (b)" rating in a research report on Monday, August 3rd. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $47.62.

Lincoln National Price Performance

The firm has a market capitalization of $7.85 billion, a PE ratio of 3.55, a P/E/G ratio of 1.42 and a beta of 1.16. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62, a current ratio of 0.27 and a quick ratio of 0.27. The business's 50 day moving average is $43.42 and its two-hundred day moving average is $39.03.

Lincoln National (NYSE:LNC - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The financial services provider reported $2.24 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.96 by $0.28. The business had revenue of $4.93 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $4.89 billion. Lincoln National had a net margin of 12.21% and a return on equity of 17.35%. The business's quarterly revenue was up 12.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $2.36 EPS. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Lincoln National Corporation will post 7.99 EPS for the current year.

Lincoln National Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, November 2nd. Investors of record on Monday, October 12th will be issued a dividend of $0.45 per share. This represents a $1.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, October 9th. Lincoln National's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 15.60%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP Sean Woodroffe sold 11,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $45.28, for a total value of $498,080.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 119,947 shares in the company, valued at $5,431,200.16. The trade was a 8.40% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director Gary Kelly sold 15,007 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $26.50, for a total transaction of $397,685.50. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders own 1.03% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Lincoln National

A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in LNC. Trust Co. of Vermont purchased a new position in Lincoln National in the 2nd quarter worth $28,000. NBT Bank N A NY boosted its position in Lincoln National by 2,051.1% during the first quarter. NBT Bank N A NY now owns 968 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $34,000 after buying an additional 923 shares during the period. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. boosted its position in Lincoln National by 6,269.6% during the first quarter. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. now owns 1,465 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $52,000 after buying an additional 1,442 shares during the period. Eastern Bank grew its stake in shares of Lincoln National by 45.7% during the second quarter. Eastern Bank now owns 1,865 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $66,000 after buying an additional 585 shares during the last quarter. Finally, CoreCap Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of Lincoln National by 935.2% during the second quarter. CoreCap Advisors LLC now owns 1,853 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $66,000 after buying an additional 1,674 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 72.81% of the company's stock.

Lincoln National Company Profile

Lincoln National Corporation, operating under the Lincoln Financial Group brand, is a financial services company that provides insurance and retirement solutions primarily in the United States. Its businesses serve individuals, families, employers and institutions through a portfolio of life insurance, annuities and workplace benefit products.

The company's offerings include term and permanent life insurance, variable and fixed annuities, and retirement plan services designed to support income and financial planning needs.

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