Lincoln Educational Services (NASDAQ:LINC) Raised to Buy at StockNews.com

Lincoln Educational Services (NASDAQ:LINC) was upgraded by equities research analysts at StockNews.com from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report issued on Tuesday.

A number of other research firms also recently weighed in on LINC. Barrington Research reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $16.00 price target on shares of Lincoln Educational Services in a research note on Friday, September 20th. Rosenblatt Securities boosted their target price on Lincoln Educational Services from $15.00 to $17.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, August 9th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $15.75.

Lincoln Educational Services Trading Down 2.7 %

Shares of LINC traded down $0.32 during trading hours on Tuesday, hitting $11.62. 92,805 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 111,831. The business has a fifty day moving average of $12.41 and a 200-day moving average of $11.56. The company has a current ratio of 1.78, a quick ratio of 1.75 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17. The firm has a market capitalization of $365.38 million, a PE ratio of 13.67, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.61 and a beta of 1.42. Lincoln Educational Services has a 1-year low of $7.88 and a 1-year high of $14.52.

Lincoln Educational Services (NASDAQ:LINC) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 8th. The company reported $0.06 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($0.01) by $0.07. The company had revenue of $102.91 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $99.60 million. Lincoln Educational Services had a net margin of 1.95% and a return on equity of 10.38%. Analysts expect that Lincoln Educational Services will post 0.51 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Lincoln Educational Services

In related news, major shareholder Juniper Investment Company, Ll sold 2,270 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $12.04, for a total transaction of $27,330.80. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 874,140 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $10,524,645.60. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 40,819 shares of company stock valued at $490,481. Company insiders own 16.80% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Lincoln Educational Services

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. BNP Paribas Financial Markets raised its holdings in shares of Lincoln Educational Services by 60.2% in the first quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 11,218 shares of the company’s stock valued at $116,000 after purchasing an additional 4,217 shares during the last quarter. Pullen Investment Management LLC bought a new stake in Lincoln Educational Services during the 1st quarter worth about $1,259,000. Essex Investment Management Co. LLC lifted its position in Lincoln Educational Services by 1.4% during the 1st quarter. Essex Investment Management Co. LLC now owns 420,360 shares of the company’s stock worth $4,342,000 after buying an additional 5,832 shares in the last quarter. Empowered Funds LLC grew its holdings in shares of Lincoln Educational Services by 8.2% in the 1st quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 183,078 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,891,000 after acquiring an additional 13,825 shares in the last quarter. Finally, First Eagle Investment Management LLC increased its position in shares of Lincoln Educational Services by 13.6% in the first quarter. First Eagle Investment Management LLC now owns 613,097 shares of the company’s stock valued at $6,333,000 after acquiring an additional 73,321 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 72.23% 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.