Lincoln National (NYSE:LNC) Trading Up 5.4% - Still a Buy?

Shares of Lincoln National Co. (NYSE:LNC - Get Free Report) traded up 5.4% on Tuesday . The company traded as high as $35.49 and last traded at $35.74. 270,248 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 78% from the average session volume of 1,253,979 shares. The stock had previously closed at $33.90.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Barclays dropped their price objective on shares of Lincoln National from $38.00 to $36.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research report on Monday, January 6th. StockNews.com raised Lincoln National from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Thursday, November 7th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their target price on Lincoln National from $29.00 to $28.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, January 14th. TD Cowen upped their price target on Lincoln National from $34.00 to $37.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a report on Wednesday, November 27th. Finally, Piper Sandler dropped their price objective on shares of Lincoln National from $37.00 to $34.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, October 2nd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have given a hold rating and one has given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $33.40.

Lincoln National Stock Up 0.5 %

The firm has a market cap of $5.81 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.34, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.26 and a beta of 1.78. The company has a quick ratio of 0.27, a current ratio of 0.27 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.73. The stock's 50 day moving average is $32.97 and its 200 day moving average is $32.34.

Lincoln National (NYSE:LNC - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 31st. The financial services provider reported $2.06 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.64 by $0.42. Lincoln National had a return on equity of 18.15% and a net margin of 2.51%. The company had revenue of $4.11 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.61 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $0.23 EPS. The company's quarterly revenue was down 2.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts forecast that Lincoln National Co. will post 6.97 EPS for the current year.

Lincoln National Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, February 3rd. Stockholders of record on Friday, January 10th will be given a dividend of $0.45 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, January 10th. This represents a $1.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 5.28%. Lincoln National's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 128.57%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP John Christopher Kennedy sold 2,863 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, November 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $36.00, for a total value of $103,068.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 99,644 shares in the company, valued at $3,587,184. This trade represents a 2.79 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.54% of the company's stock.

Institutional Trading of Lincoln National

Several institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Empowered Funds LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Lincoln National in the fourth quarter worth about $450,000. Cantor Fitzgerald Investment Advisors L.P. raised its stake in shares of Lincoln National by 1.2% in the 4th quarter. Cantor Fitzgerald Investment Advisors L.P. now owns 85,832 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $2,722,000 after acquiring an additional 1,050 shares in the last quarter. Triasima Portfolio Management inc. boosted its position in Lincoln National by 4.2% during the fourth quarter. Triasima Portfolio Management inc. now owns 17,224 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $546,000 after purchasing an additional 699 shares during the period. Lecap Asset Management Ltd. bought a new stake in shares of Lincoln National during the 4th quarter worth $873,000. Finally, Hedeker Wealth LLC grew its stake in Lincoln National by 2.5% in the 4th quarter. Hedeker Wealth LLC now owns 83,464 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $2,647,000 after buying an additional 2,062 shares during the last quarter. 72.81% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Lincoln National Company Profile

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.