Lincoln National (NYSE:LNC) Hits New 12-Month High – Here’s Why

Lincoln National Corporation (NYSE:LNC)’s share price hit a new 52-week high on Monday . The company traded as high as $46.72 and last traded at $46.31, with a volume of 327508 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $45.01.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

LNC has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upped their price target on Lincoln National from $43.00 to $44.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a research note on Monday, November 3rd. Zacks Research downgraded shares of Lincoln National from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, December 4th. Morgan Stanley restated an “overweight” rating on shares of Lincoln National in a report on Monday, December 15th. Mizuho assumed coverage on shares of Lincoln National in a research report on Tuesday, December 16th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $52.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price objective on shares of Lincoln National from $37.00 to $38.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have issued a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Lincoln National has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $47.17.

Lincoln National Stock Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.61, a quick ratio of 0.28 and a current ratio of 0.28. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $42.59 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $39.89. The stock has a market cap of $8.81 billion, a PE ratio of 4.16, a PEG ratio of 0.44 and a beta of 1.32.

Lincoln National (NYSE:LNC) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, October 30th. The financial services provider reported $2.04 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.84 by $0.20. The business had revenue of $4.56 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.80 billion. Lincoln National had a net margin of 11.49% and a return on equity of 18.77%. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $2.06 earnings per share. Equities analysts anticipate that Lincoln National Corporation will post 7.69 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Lincoln National Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, February 2nd. Stockholders of record on Monday, January 12th will be paid a dividend of $0.45 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, January 12th. This represents a $1.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.9%. Lincoln National’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 16.16%.

Insider Transactions at Lincoln National

In other Lincoln National news, Director Owen Ryan acquired 2,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, November 12th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $42.17 per share, for a total transaction of $84,340.00. Following the acquisition, the director directly owned 12,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $506,040. This trade represents a 20.00% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, EVP John Christopher Kennedy sold 3,519 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 directly owned 118,985 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,253,187.75. The trade was a 2.87% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. 0.54% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of Lincoln National

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Advisors Asset Management Inc. bought a new position in shares of Lincoln National in the second quarter worth about $28,000. Ameritas Advisory Services LLC bought a new position in shares of Lincoln National during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $29,000. JPL Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in Lincoln National in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $29,000. Salomon & Ludwin LLC bought a new stake in Lincoln National during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $32,000. Finally, Mather Group LLC. bought a new stake in Lincoln National during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $39,000. Institutional investors 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.