Lincoln Educational Services Co. (NASDAQ:LINC) Stock Position Trimmed by BNP Paribas Financial Markets

BNP Paribas Financial Markets decreased its position in Lincoln Educational Services Co. (NASDAQ:LINC) by 75.3% in the 3rd quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 5,566 shares of the company’s stock after selling 16,994 shares during the period. BNP Paribas Financial Markets’ holdings in Lincoln Educational Services were worth $66,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in LINC. SG Americas Securities LLC acquired a new position in shares of Lincoln Educational Services during the third quarter worth approximately $121,000. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company bought a new position in shares of Lincoln Educational Services in the second quarter worth $123,000. Rhumbline Advisers increased its holdings in shares of Lincoln Educational Services by 36.0% during the second quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 38,162 shares of the company’s stock valued at $453,000 after purchasing an additional 10,095 shares during the period. Weil Company Inc. raised its stake in shares of Lincoln Educational Services by 12.3% during the second quarter. Weil Company Inc. now owns 41,125 shares of the company’s stock valued at $488,000 after purchasing an additional 4,500 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Calamos Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Lincoln Educational Services in the second quarter worth about $576,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 72.23% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms have commented on LINC. Barrington Research raised their target price on shares of Lincoln Educational Services from $16.00 to $20.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, November 11th. B. Riley increased their price objective on shares of Lincoln Educational Services from $15.00 to $20.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, November 7th. Finally, StockNews.com cut Lincoln Educational Services from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 9th. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Lincoln Educational Services has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $18.00.

Lincoln Educational Services Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ LINC opened at $15.46 on Friday. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $14.87 and its 200 day simple moving average is $13.02. The stock has a market capitalization of $486.67 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 48.31, a PEG ratio of 2.02 and a beta of 1.47. The company has a quick ratio of 1.53, a current ratio of 1.57 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17. Lincoln Educational Services Co. has a 52-week low of $8.91 and a 52-week high of $18.74.

Lincoln Educational Services (NASDAQ:LINC) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Monday, November 11th. The company reported $0.13 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.14 by ($0.01). Lincoln Educational Services had a return on equity of 10.60% and a net margin of 2.33%. The firm had revenue of $114.41 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $111.05 million. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $0.11 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Lincoln Educational Services Co. will post 0.54 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, major shareholder Juniper Investment Company, Ll sold 61,289 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, December 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $16.19, for a total value of $992,268.91. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 425,544 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,889,557.36. This trade represents a 12.59 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, CFO Brian K. Meyers sold 6,892 shares of Lincoln Educational Services stock in a transaction on Wednesday, November 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $16.38, for a total transaction of $112,890.96. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 266,133 shares in the company, valued at $4,359,258.54. This trade represents a 2.52 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 223,002 shares of company stock valued at $3,632,824 over the last quarter. Insiders own 16.80% of the company’s stock.

About Lincoln Educational Services

Lincoln Educational Services Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, provides various career-oriented post-secondary education services to high school graduates and working adults in the United States. The company operates in two segments, Campus Operations and Transitional. It offers associate's degree, and diploma and certificate programs in automotive technology; skilled trades programs, including electrical, heating and air conditioning repair, welding, computerized numerical control, and electrical and electronic systems technology; health science programs comprising licensed practical nurse, registered nurse, dental assistant, medical assistant, medical administrative assistant, and claims examiner; hospitality service and information technology programs, such as culinary, therapeutic massage, cosmetology, aesthetics, and computer systems support technicians.