Lincoln National (NYSE:LNC) Reaches New 12-Month High – Time to Buy?

Lincoln National Corporation (NYSE:LNC)’s stock price reached a new 52-week high during trading on Tuesday . The company traded as high as $46.87 and last traded at $46.7410, with a volume of 513661 shares. The stock had previously closed at $46.09.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts recently weighed in on LNC shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price target on Lincoln National from $40.00 to $42.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 21st. Morgan Stanley decreased their price target on shares of Lincoln National from $43.00 to $40.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, May 21st. Bank of America reiterated a “neutral” rating and set a $47.00 price objective on shares of Lincoln National in a report on Thursday, July 30th. National Bank Financial set a $51.00 target price on shares of Lincoln National in a report on Thursday, July 9th. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lifted their price target on Lincoln National from $46.00 to $51.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, July 31st. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have issued a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Lincoln National currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $46.43.

Lincoln National Price Performance

The firm has a market cap of $8.92 billion, a PE ratio of 4.04, a P/E/G ratio of 1.69 and a beta of 1.15. 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 fifty day moving average is $38.89 and its 200-day moving average is $37.53.

Lincoln National (NYSE:LNC) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 30th. The financial services provider reported $2.24 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.96 by $0.28. Lincoln National had a return on equity of 17.35% and a net margin of 12.21%.The business had revenue of $4.93 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.89 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $2.36 earnings per share. Lincoln National’s revenue was up 12.3% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, research analysts predict that Lincoln National Corporation will post 7.82 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Lincoln National Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, August 3rd. Investors of record on Friday, July 10th were paid a $0.45 dividend. This represents a $1.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.9%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, July 10th. Lincoln National’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 15.60%.

Insider Transactions at Lincoln National

In other Lincoln National news, EVP Craigt T. Beazer sold 30,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, June 5th. The shares were 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 owned 103,906 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,579,561.70. The trade was a 22.40% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. 1.03% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Lincoln National

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Fideuram Intesa Sanpaolo Private Banking S.P.A. bought a new stake in shares of Lincoln National in the 4th quarter worth about $4,742,000. Wealthstar Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Lincoln National during the 1st quarter worth $1,183,000. Oxbow Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of Lincoln National by 22.1% in the fourth quarter. Oxbow Advisors LLC now owns 231,208 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $10,296,000 after acquiring an additional 41,817 shares in the last quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC raised its stake in Lincoln National by 10.9% in the fourth quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC now owns 1,360,587 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $60,495,000 after buying an additional 133,388 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Bessemer Group Inc. grew its position in shares of Lincoln National by 25.4% in the 1st quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 203,973 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $7,241,000 after buying an additional 41,345 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 72.81% of the company’s stock.

Lincoln National Company Profile

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.