Lincoln Educational Services (NASDAQ:LINC) Releases FY 2026 Earnings Guidance

Lincoln Educational Services (NASDAQ:LINC) issued an update on its FY 2026 earnings guidance on Monday morning. The company provided EPS guidance of 0.640-0.740 for the period, compared to the consensus EPS estimate of 0.810. The company issued revenue guidance of $580.0 million-$590.0 million, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $536.1 million.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have recently issued reports on the company. B. Riley Financial increased their price target on Lincoln Educational Services from $27.00 to $33.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 27th. Northland Securities set a $28.00 target price on shares of Lincoln Educational Services in a research report on Wednesday, January 7th. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Lincoln Educational Services from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 5th. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Lincoln Educational Services from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday. Finally, Griffin Securities set a $33.00 price objective on shares of Lincoln Educational Services in a research note on Tuesday, January 27th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have assigned a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Lincoln Educational Services currently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $32.83.

Lincoln Educational Services Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ LINC opened at $33.04 on Tuesday. Lincoln Educational Services has a twelve month low of $14.10 and a twelve month high of $33.23. The company has a current ratio of 0.81, a quick ratio of 0.77 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.21. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $26.15 and a two-hundred day moving average of $22.75. The company has a market capitalization of $1.04 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 73.42, a PEG ratio of 2.38 and a beta of 0.97.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Lincoln Educational Services news, Director Kevin M. Carney sold 13,866 shares of Lincoln Educational Services stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, December 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $22.18, for a total value of $307,547.88. Following the transaction, the director owned 24,823 shares in the company, valued at approximately $550,574.14. The trade was a 35.84% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Insiders own 16.80% of the company’s stock.

More Lincoln Educational Services News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 beat: Lincoln reported Q4 EPS of $0.50 (vs. $0.42 consensus) and revenue of $142.9M (vs. $131.7M est.), beating top- and bottom-line expectations — a primary catalyst for upside. LINC Beats Q4 Estimates (Zacks)
• Positive Sentiment: Revenue guidance raised: Management issued FY2026 revenue guidance of $580–$590M (well above the prior consensus ~ $536M) and reiterated a strong growth outlook, plus an Investor Day on March 19 and a new Nashville campus — these items support revenue growth visibility. Press Release — Q4 Results & FY26 Outlook (GlobeNewswire)
• Neutral Sentiment: Management commentary and details available: The full earnings call transcript and summaries are posted (useful for digging into margin drivers, enrollment trends and capital allocation plans). Investors may parse the call for color on student demand and cost trends. Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript (Seeking Alpha)
• Negative Sentiment: EPS guidance below Street: Lincoln set FY2026 EPS guidance of $0.64–$0.74 versus a consensus ~ $0.81 — this shortfall tempers enthusiasm and explains some sell-side caution. FY26 Outlook Introduced (Seeking Alpha News)
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst reaction: At least one shop trimmed its rating to Hold following the report, reflecting caution on the EPS outlook despite the revenue beat — this can limit upside momentum. Analyst Cut to Hold (American Banking News)

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Lincoln Educational Services

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Royal Bank of Canada lifted its holdings in shares of Lincoln Educational Services by 246.7% during the fourth quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 1,536 shares of the company’s stock valued at $38,000 after purchasing an additional 1,093 shares during the last quarter. Strs Ohio acquired a new stake in Lincoln Educational Services during the 1st quarter worth about $48,000. Raymond James Financial Inc. purchased a new stake in Lincoln Educational Services during the second quarter valued at about $116,000. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC lifted its stake in Lincoln Educational Services by 1,081.1% during the second quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 5,681 shares of the company’s stock valued at $131,000 after buying an additional 5,200 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Legal & General Group Plc boosted its holdings in shares of Lincoln Educational Services by 156.1% in the second quarter. Legal & General Group Plc now owns 5,740 shares of the company’s stock worth $132,000 after buying an additional 3,499 shares during the period. 72.23% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.