Lincoln Educational Services (NASDAQ:LINC) Shares Up 7.1% – Still a Buy?

Lincoln Educational Services Co. (NASDAQ:LINC)’s share price rose 7.1% during trading on Monday . The stock traded as high as $16.48 and last traded at $16.41. Approximately 127,618 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 8% from the average daily volume of 139,175 shares. The stock had previously closed at $15.32.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts have issued reports on LINC shares. Rosenblatt Securities boosted their target price on Lincoln Educational Services from $20.00 to $24.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 25th. Barrington Research reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and issued a $22.00 price target on shares of Lincoln Educational Services in a research note on Wednesday, March 26th. Finally, B. Riley initiated coverage on shares of Lincoln Educational Services in a research report on Friday, March 28th. They set a “buy” rating and a $23.00 price objective for the company. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, three have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Lincoln Educational Services presently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $21.00.

Lincoln Educational Services Stock Performance

The stock has a fifty day moving average of $16.55 and a 200-day moving average of $15.27. The firm has a market capitalization of $508.96 million, a P/E ratio of 50.35, a P/E/G ratio of 1.70 and a beta of 1.57. 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 (NASDAQ:LINC) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Monday, February 24th. The company reported $0.31 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.20 by $0.11. Lincoln Educational Services had a net margin of 2.33% and a return on equity of 10.60%. The company had revenue of $119.37 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $110.50 million. On average, research analysts anticipate that Lincoln Educational Services Co. will post 0.54 EPS for the current year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Lincoln Educational Services

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Sanctuary Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Lincoln Educational Services in the fourth quarter valued at about $288,000. Barclays PLC raised its stake in shares of Lincoln Educational Services by 259.0% during the 3rd quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 34,220 shares of the company’s stock worth $408,000 after purchasing an additional 24,688 shares in the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised its stake in shares of Lincoln Educational Services by 248.7% during the 3rd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 39,646 shares of the company’s stock worth $473,000 after purchasing an additional 28,275 shares in the last quarter. Bailard Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Lincoln Educational Services by 24.5% in the 4th quarter. Bailard Inc. now owns 84,900 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,343,000 after buying an additional 16,693 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. grew its stake in shares of Lincoln Educational Services by 3.5% in the third quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 74,935 shares of the company’s stock valued at $895,000 after buying an additional 2,545 shares in the last quarter. 72.23% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.