Lincoln Educational Services (NASDAQ:LINC) Reaches New 52-Week High Following Analyst Upgrade

Lincoln Educational Services Co. (NASDAQ:LINC - Get Free Report) achieved a new 52-week high during trading on Friday after B. Riley Securities enhanced their price target on the stock from $15.00 to $20.00. With a "buy" rating currently assigned, Lincoln Educational Services climbed to a high of $16.21 before last trading at $16.20, with a trading volume of 325,686 shares. Prior to this, the stock had closed at $14.91.

Recent Analyst Ratings for LINC

Lincoln Educational Services has been featured in the research reports of several analysts recently. For instance, StockNews.com downgraded LINC from a "buy" to a "hold" rating on October 9. Meanwhile, Barrington Research reiterated an "outperform" rating with a target price of $16.00 on September 20. Moreover, Rosenblatt Securities increased their target price from $15.00 to $17.00, also giving the stock a "buy" rating in a report published on August 9. Presently, one analyst has a hold rating on the stock, while four have rated it as a buy. According to MarketBeat.com, Lincoln Educational Services holds an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and has a consensus price target of $17.00.

Insider Trading Activities

In other news, significant insider trading was reported as major shareholder Juniper Investment Company, LLC sold 19,611 shares of the company on August 16 at an average price of $12.02, totaling approximately $235,724.22. Following this transaction, the insider continues to have an ownership of 876,410 shares, valued at about $10.53 million. This sale did not affect their overall ownership percentage. In the past three months, insiders have sold 40,819 shares of Lincoln Educational Services valued at around $490,481. Insider ownership stands at 16.80% of the company’s shares.

Institutional Investor Insights

Institutional investors and hedge funds have made notable adjustments to their positions in Lincoln Educational Services recently. Herr Investment Group LLC increased its stake by 3.9% during the first quarter, owning 2,355,737 shares worth approximately $24.34 million after acquiring an additional 88,335 shares. Vanguard Group Inc. also raised its holdings by 11.3%, now owning 1,343,181 shares valued at $13.88 million following a purchase of 136,334 shares in the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP raised its position by 5.5%, currently holding 970,425 shares valued at $11.51 million after acquiring an extra 50,737 shares. First Eagle Investment Management LLC boosted its shareholding by 25.4%, owning 768,851 shares worth about $9.12 million after a recent purchase of 155,754 shares. Another notable investor, Renaissance Technologies LLC, increased its stake by 12.6%, now owning 645,678 shares with a value of $7.66 million. Currently, institutional investors and hedge funds collectively hold 72.23% of the stock.

Performance Metrics of LINC

The recent surge has resulted in Lincoln Educational Services trading up 8.7%. The company has a market capitalization of $509.98 million with a price-to-earnings (PE) ratio of 58.23, a PEG ratio of 1.75, and a beta of 1.41. Its financial ratios include a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17, a quick ratio of 1.75, and a current ratio of 1.78. The stock had a 50-day simple moving average of $12.44 and a 200-day simple moving average of $12.06.

Recent Earnings Report

Lincoln Educational Services last published its quarterly earnings data on August 8. The report revealed earnings per share of $0.06, surpassing analysts' expectations by $0.07. The net margin of the company stands at 1.95%, with a return on equity of 10.38%. The revenue reported for the quarter was $102.91 million, which was above the forecast of $99.60 million made by analysts. Projections suggest that Lincoln Educational Services Co. may achieve an EPS of 0.51 for the current fiscal year.

About Lincoln Educational Services

Lincoln Educational Services Corporation, along with its subsidiaries, provides a variety of career-oriented post-secondary education services, catering to both high school graduates and working adults across the United States. The organization operates through two segments: Campus Operations and Transitional. They offer various programs including associate degrees, diplomas, and certificates in fields such as automotive technology, skilled trades, healthcare, hospitality services, and information technology.

Stock, Analysis, Earnings