Morgan Stanley Lowers Lincoln National (NYSE:LNC) Price Target to $46.00

Lincoln National (NYSE:LNC) had its price target dropped by analysts at Morgan Stanley from $50.00 to $46.00 in a research report issued to clients and investors on Tuesday,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has an “overweight” rating on the financial services provider’s stock. Morgan Stanley’s price target would indicate a potential upside of 31.17% from the stock’s previous close.

Several other equities analysts have also recently commented on LNC. Zacks Research cut shares of Lincoln National from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, December 4th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods increased their price target on Lincoln National from $43.00 to $44.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research report on Monday, November 3rd. Wells Fargo & Company upgraded Lincoln National from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and lifted their price target for the stock from $41.00 to $48.00 in a report on Wednesday, February 25th. TD Cowen restated a “hold” rating on shares of Lincoln National in a research note on Wednesday, January 28th. Finally, Mizuho assumed coverage on Lincoln National in a research report on Tuesday, December 16th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $52.00 target price for the company. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have given a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $46.25.

Lincoln National Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:LNC opened at $35.07 on Tuesday. The company has a current ratio of 0.27, a quick ratio of 0.27 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.59. The stock has a market cap of $6.67 billion, a PE ratio of 6.60, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 1.30. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $40.94 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $41.25. Lincoln National has a 1-year low of $27.58 and a 1-year high of $46.82.

Lincoln National (NYSE:LNC) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, February 12th. The financial services provider reported $2.21 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.86 by $0.35. Lincoln National had a net margin of 6.46% and a return on equity of 18.52%. The company had revenue of $4.89 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.85 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $1.91 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was down 2.8% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, analysts forecast that Lincoln National will post 7.69 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Lincoln National

In other news, EVP John Christopher Kennedy sold 3,519 shares of Lincoln National stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, December 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $44.15, for a total value of $155,363.85. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 118,985 shares in the company, valued at $5,253,187.75. This trade represents a 2.87% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP James Waltman Reid sold 3,050 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $41.81, for a total transaction of $127,520.50. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 118,567 shares in the company, valued at $4,957,286.27. The trade was a 2.51% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last quarter, insiders sold 16,569 shares of company stock worth $627,484. Insiders own 0.51% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Advisors Asset Management Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Lincoln National during the second quarter worth $28,000. JPL Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Lincoln National during the 3rd quarter valued at $29,000. V Square Quantitative Management LLC purchased a new stake in Lincoln National during the 4th quarter worth about $31,000. Salomon & Ludwin LLC bought a new position in Lincoln National in the 3rd quarter worth about $32,000. Finally, Transamerica Financial Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Lincoln National during the 4th quarter valued at about $32,000. 72.81% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.