Lincoln Educational Services Corporation (NASDAQ:LINC) Receives Average Rating of “Moderate Buy” from Analysts

Shares of Lincoln Educational Services Corporation (NASDAQ:LINC) have been assigned an average rating of “Moderate Buy” from the six brokerages that are covering the company, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the company. The average 12-month price target among brokerages that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $50.6667.

Several research firms recently weighed in on LINC. Lake Street Capital reduced their price target on shares of Lincoln Educational Services from $55.00 to $50.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Lincoln Educational Services from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research report on Monday, August 3rd. B. Riley Financial boosted their target price on shares of Lincoln Educational Services from $46.00 to $56.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 12th. Barrington Research set a $50.00 target price on shares of Lincoln Educational Services in a research report on Monday. Finally, Rosenblatt Securities decreased their price target on shares of Lincoln Educational Services from $60.00 to $50.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday.

Key Headlines Impacting Lincoln Educational Services

Here are the key news stories impacting Lincoln Educational Services this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Second-quarter results exceeded expectations: Lincoln reported EPS of $0.06, beating estimates by $0.07, while revenue of approximately $142.6 million surpassed consensus by $3.26 million. Lincoln Educational Services earnings beat
• Positive Sentiment: Full-year outlook was maintained: Management projected FY 2026 EPS of $0.74-$0.83 and revenue of $590 million-$600 million, broadly in line with analyst expectations. Lincoln Educational Services financial results
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts remain constructive: Rosenblatt Securities and Barrington reiterated Buy ratings and cited industry tailwinds and Lincoln’s outlook, although both lowered their price targets to $50. Lincoln Educational Services analyst rating
• Neutral Sentiment: Reported short interest was zero shares, producing no meaningful short-interest signal; the published percentage change is not meaningful because both periods showed zero shares.
• Negative Sentiment: Enrollment momentum raised concerns: Reports indicated that new student starts slowed, potentially clouding the company’s growth outlook despite the quarterly beat. Lincoln Educational student starts
• Negative Sentiment: Investors purchased 2,687 put options, roughly 435% above average put volume, signaling increased near-term hedging or bearish speculation.
• Negative Sentiment: The lower $50 targets, while still implying substantial upside, may reflect more cautious expectations following the enrollment concerns. With shares trading at a relatively high earnings multiple, investors may be particularly sensitive to any slowdown.

Insider Buying and Selling at Lincoln Educational Services

In other Lincoln Educational Services news, SVP Alexandra M. Luster sold 18,007 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, June 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $44.64, for a total value of $803,832.48. Following the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 82,356 shares in the company, valued at $3,676,371.84. The trade was a 17.94% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director Kevin M. Carney sold 3,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, June 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $48.00, for a total value of $144,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 25,039 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,201,872. The trade was a 10.70% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 55,000 shares of company stock valued at $2,614,758. Company insiders own 12.80% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Lincoln Educational Services

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. AQR Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Lincoln Educational Services in the first quarter valued at approximately $213,000. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. lifted its stake in shares of Lincoln Educational Services by 4.5% during the 1st quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 15,657 shares of the company’s stock valued at $248,000 after buying an additional 681 shares in the last quarter. Empowered Funds LLC boosted its holdings in Lincoln Educational Services by 1.9% in the 1st quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 47,648 shares of the company’s stock worth $756,000 after buying an additional 879 shares during the period. Strs Ohio bought a new position in Lincoln Educational Services in the 1st quarter worth approximately $48,000. Finally, Legal & General Group Plc grew its stake in Lincoln Educational Services by 156.1% in the 2nd quarter. Legal & General Group Plc now owns 5,740 shares of the company’s stock valued at $132,000 after buying an additional 3,499 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 72.23% of the company’s stock.

Lincoln Educational Services Stock Down 1.3%

Shares of NASDAQ:LINC opened at $30.38 on Wednesday. The company has a market capitalization of $963.68 million, a PE ratio of 42.19, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.62 and a beta of 0.83. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18, a current ratio of 0.83 and a quick ratio of 0.80. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $46.25 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $41.11. Lincoln Educational Services has a 1 year low of $17.29 and a 1 year high of $56.34.

Lincoln Educational Services (NASDAQ:LINC) last announced its earnings results on Monday, August 10th. The company reported $0.06 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. The firm had revenue of $142.56 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $139.49 million. Lincoln Educational Services had a return on equity of 14.61% and a net margin of 3.99%.Lincoln Educational Services has set its FY 2026 guidance at 0.740-0.830 EPS. Analysts forecast that Lincoln Educational Services will post 0.78 earnings per share for the current year.

Lincoln Educational Services Company Profile

Lincoln Educational Services Corporation is a publicly traded provider of career-focused post-secondary vocational education in the United States. Operating under the Lincoln Tech and Lincoln Culinary Institute brands, the company delivers hands-on technical instruction across high-growth industries. Its mission centers on equipping students with practical skills and industry credentials designed to meet employer needs.

The company’s program offerings span automotive technology, skilled trades, health sciences, information technology, culinary arts and public safety.