Lincoln National (NYSE:LNC) Major Shareholder National Life Insuranc Lincoln Purchases 2,300,098 Shares of Stock

Lincoln National Corporation (NYSE:LNC) major shareholder National Life Insuranc Lincoln purchased 2,300,098 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, December 19th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $10.87 per share, with a total value of $25,002,065.26. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 7,529,837 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $81,849,328.19. The trade was a 43.98% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Major shareholders that own at least 10% of a company’s shares are required to disclose their sales and purchases with the SEC.

National Life Insuranc Lincoln also recently made the following trade(s):

• On Wednesday, February 25th, National Life Insuranc Lincoln purchased 2,254,486 shares of Lincoln National stock. The stock was purchased at an average price of $11.09 per share, for a total transaction of $25,002,249.74.

Lincoln National Trading Down 7.0%

NYSE LNC opened at $34.28 on Friday. Lincoln National Corporation has a 52 week low of $27.58 and a 52 week high of $46.82. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $41.63 and a 200 day moving average price of $41.37. The company has a quick ratio of 0.27, a current ratio of 0.27 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.59. The firm has a market cap of $6.52 billion, a PE ratio of 6.46, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.65 and a beta of 1.30.

Lincoln National (NYSE:LNC) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, February 12th. The financial services provider reported $2.21 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.86 by $0.35. The company had revenue of $4.89 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.85 billion. Lincoln National had a net margin of 6.46% and a return on equity of 18.52%. Lincoln National’s revenue was down 2.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm earned $1.91 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Lincoln National Corporation will post 7.69 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Lincoln National Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 1st. Investors of record on Friday, April 10th will be paid a dividend of $0.45 per share. This represents a $1.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 5.3%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, April 10th. Lincoln National’s payout ratio is 33.90%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Lincoln National

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. V Square Quantitative Management LLC acquired a new stake in Lincoln National during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Transamerica Financial Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Lincoln National in the fourth quarter worth $32,000. JPL Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Lincoln National during the third quarter worth $29,000. Salomon & Ludwin LLC acquired a new position in Lincoln National during the third quarter valued at $32,000. Finally, Advisors Asset Management Inc. acquired a new position in Lincoln National during the second quarter valued at $28,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 72.81% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

LNC has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods increased their price target on Lincoln National from $43.00 to $44.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research note on Monday, November 3rd. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Lincoln National in a report on Monday, December 29th. UBS Group lifted their target price on shares of Lincoln National from $42.00 to $43.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, October 31st. National Bank Financial set a $45.00 target price on shares of Lincoln National in a research report on Thursday, January 8th. Finally, TD Cowen restated a “hold” rating on shares of Lincoln National in a research note on Wednesday, January 28th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have given a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $46.58.

About Lincoln National

Lincoln National Corporation, doing business as Lincoln Financial Group, is a diversified financial services holding company focused on providing retirement, insurance, and wealth management solutions in the United States and select international markets. Headquartered in Radnor, Pennsylvania, the company operates through several business segments, including Retirement Plan Services, Life Insurance, and Group Protection. Its offerings are designed to help individuals, families, and institutions plan and prepare for their financial futures.

The Retirement Plan Services segment delivers recordkeeping, administrative services, and investment management for defined contribution and defined benefit plans.