Lincoln National (NYSE:LNC) Hits New 1-Year High Following Strong Earnings

Lincoln National Co. (NYSE:LNC)’s share price reached a new 52-week high during trading on Friday following a better than expected earnings announcement. The company traded as high as $37.15 and last traded at $36.83, with a volume of 1220737 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $35.77.

The financial services provider reported $1.91 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.87 by $0.04. Lincoln National had a net margin of 2.51% and a return on equity of 18.15%.

Lincoln National Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, February 3rd. Investors of record on Friday, January 10th were paid a $0.45 dividend. This represents a $1.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.86%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, January 10th. Lincoln National’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 128.57%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts recently commented on LNC shares. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Lincoln National from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, November 7th. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price target on shares of Lincoln National from $29.00 to $28.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, January 14th. TD Cowen raised their price target on shares of Lincoln National from $34.00 to $37.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 27th. Finally, Barclays raised their price target on shares of Lincoln National from $36.00 to $38.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Friday. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have assigned a hold rating and one has issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $33.60.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Lincoln National

Several institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in LNC. Blue Trust Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Lincoln National by 535.5% during the 3rd quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 1,074 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $33,000 after purchasing an additional 905 shares in the last quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC increased its holdings in shares of Lincoln National by 95.3% during the 3rd quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 1,086 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $34,000 after purchasing an additional 530 shares in the last quarter. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. purchased a new position in shares of Lincoln National during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $36,000. Eastern Bank acquired a new stake in Lincoln National in the 3rd quarter valued at $40,000. Finally, Meeder Asset Management Inc. acquired a new stake in Lincoln National in the 3rd quarter valued at $48,000. 72.81% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Lincoln National Stock Up 3.5 %

The business’s 50 day moving average is $32.93 and its 200-day moving average is $32.49. The stock has a market cap of $6.30 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.44, a PEG ratio of 0.27 and a beta of 1.79. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.73, a quick ratio of 0.27 and a current ratio of 0.27.

About Lincoln National

Lincoln National Corporation, through its subsidiaries, operates multiple insurance and retirement businesses in the United States. It operates in four segments: Life Insurance, Annuities, Group Protection, and Retirement Plan Services. The Life Insurance segment provides life insurance products, including term insurance, universal life insurance (UL), indexed universal life insurance, variable universal life insurance (VUL), linked-benefit UL and VUL products, and critical illness and long-term care riders.