Lincoln Educational Services (NASDAQ:LINC) Issues Earnings Results, Beats Estimates By $0.08 EPS

Lincoln Educational Services (NASDAQ:LINC) released its quarterly earnings data on Monday. The company reported $0.50 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.42 by $0.08, Zacks reports. Lincoln Educational Services had a return on equity of 12.20% and a net margin of 2.86%. Lincoln Educational Services updated its FY 2026 guidance to 0.640-0.740 EPS.

Lincoln Educational Services Price Performance

NASDAQ LINC opened at $30.63 on Monday. The stock has a market cap of $968.65 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 68.99, a PEG ratio of 2.38 and a beta of 0.97. Lincoln Educational Services has a 12 month low of $14.10 and a 12 month high of $32.73. The company’s 50 day moving average is $25.94 and its two-hundred day moving average is $22.68. The company has a current ratio of 0.81, a quick ratio of 0.77 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.21.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms have issued reports on LINC. Zacks Research cut shares of Lincoln Educational Services from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 10th. B. Riley Financial increased their price objective on shares of Lincoln Educational Services from $27.00 to $33.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 27th. Barrington Research lifted their target price on shares of Lincoln Educational Services from $27.00 to $33.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday. Northland Securities set a $28.00 target price on shares of Lincoln Educational Services in a research note on Wednesday, January 7th. Finally, Wall Street Zen cut Lincoln Educational Services from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have assigned a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $30.00.

Lincoln Educational Services News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Company reported Q4 and full‑year 2025 results that exceeded its financial guidance and flagged continued strong growth for 2026 — signals operational momentum and revenue strength. GlobeNewswire: Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2025 Results
• Positive Sentiment: Management introduced a FY2026 outlook with revenue guidance ($580M–$590M) well above consensus, reinforcing the revenue growth story. Seeking Alpha: Beats estimates; introduces FY26 outlook
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts have reacted: at least one price target was raised to $33 and an upgrade drove an earlier gap up, indicating some buy-side enthusiasm. AmericanBankingNews: Price Target Raised to $33 AmericanBankingNews: Shares Gap Up Following Analyst Upgrade
• Neutral Sentiment: Pre-earnings coverage and analyst model revisions are active ahead of the Q4 release — useful for context but not new fundamentals. MSN: Q4 earnings report preview
• Negative Sentiment: Management’s FY2026 EPS guidance of $0.640–$0.740 is below the consensus ~$0.81, which could cap multiple expansion and raise near‑term valuation concerns despite revenue strength.
• Negative Sentiment: Not all analysts are bullish — one shop cut LINC to a Hold, signaling some skepticism on upside or valuation. AmericanBankingNews: Cut to Hold at Wall Street Zen

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Kevin M. Carney sold 13,866 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, December 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $22.18, for a total value of $307,547.88. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 24,823 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $550,574.14. The trade was a 35.84% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Corporate insiders own 16.80% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Lincoln Educational Services

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of LINC. Royal Bank of Canada boosted its stake in shares of Lincoln Educational Services by 246.7% during the 4th quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 1,536 shares of the company’s stock worth $38,000 after purchasing an additional 1,093 shares during the period. Strs Ohio purchased a new stake in shares of Lincoln Educational Services in the first quarter worth approximately $48,000. Raymond James Financial Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Lincoln Educational Services in the second quarter worth approximately $116,000. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC lifted its stake in shares of Lincoln Educational Services by 1,081.1% during the 2nd quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 5,681 shares of the company’s stock worth $131,000 after acquiring an additional 5,200 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Legal & General Group Plc grew its position 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 acquiring an additional 3,499 shares during the last quarter. 72.23% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.