Lincoln National (NYSE:LNC) Stock Price Expected to Rise, JPMorgan Chase & Co. Analyst Says

Lincoln National (NYSE:LNC) had its price target raised by equities research analysts at JPMorgan Chase & Co. from $40.00 to $42.00 in a report released on Tuesday,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has an “underweight” rating on the financial services provider’s stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co.‘s price target points to a potential upside of 0.76% from the company’s current price.

LNC has been the topic of several other reports. Weiss Ratings cut shares of Lincoln National from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a report on Monday, May 11th. UBS Group increased their price target on Lincoln National from $39.00 to $44.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 8th. Morgan Stanley lowered their price objective on Lincoln National from $43.00 to $40.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, May 21st. Bank of America dropped their price objective on Lincoln National from $41.00 to $37.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, April 14th. Finally, National Bank Financial set a $51.00 target price on Lincoln National in a research report on Thursday, July 9th. Six analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have given a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $45.21.

Lincoln National Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE LNC opened at $41.68 on Tuesday. Lincoln National has a one year low of $32.18 and a one year high of $46.82. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.65, a current ratio of 0.25 and a quick ratio of 0.25. The firm has a market cap of $7.97 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 4.84, a P/E/G ratio of 2.96 and a beta of 1.17. The stock’s fifty day moving average price is $37.15 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $37.51.

Lincoln National (NYSE:LNC) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 7th. The financial services provider reported $1.66 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.58 by $0.08. Lincoln National had a net margin of 9.17% and a return on equity of 18.07%. The business had revenue of $4.87 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.93 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $1.60 earnings per share. Lincoln National’s revenue was up 13.1% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts forecast that Lincoln National will post 7.73 EPS for the current year.

Insider Transactions at Lincoln National

In other Lincoln National news, EVP Craigt T. Beazer sold 30,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, June 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $34.45, for a total value of $1,033,500.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 103,906 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,579,561.70. This trade represents a 22.40% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. 1.03% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Insight Inv LLC lifted its holdings in Lincoln National by 0.5% in the fourth quarter. Insight Inv LLC now owns 48,127 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $2,143,000 after buying an additional 250 shares during the period. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC grew its holdings in Lincoln National by 6.5% during the 4th quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 4,110 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $185,000 after acquiring an additional 252 shares during the period. CWM LLC grew its holdings in Lincoln National by 2.1% during the 4th quarter. CWM LLC now owns 12,397 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $552,000 after acquiring an additional 255 shares during the period. Evergreen Capital Management LLC raised its position in shares of Lincoln National by 3.2% in the 2nd quarter. Evergreen Capital Management LLC now owns 8,815 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $305,000 after acquiring an additional 275 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Integrated Advisors Network LLC grew its stake in Lincoln National by 3.3% during the first quarter. Integrated Advisors Network LLC now owns 8,677 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $308,000 after purchasing an additional 279 shares during the period. 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.