Lincoln National Co. (NYSE:LNC) Shares Sold by Swiss National Bank

Swiss National Bank trimmed its position in Lincoln National Co. (NYSE:LNC) by 0.6% in the third quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 331,900 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after selling 1,900 shares during the period. Swiss National Bank’s holdings in Lincoln National were worth $10,458,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Whittier Trust Co. increased its stake in Lincoln National by 106.7% during the second quarter. Whittier Trust Co. now owns 835 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 431 shares during the last quarter. Adirondack Trust Co. bought a new stake in Lincoln National in the 2nd quarter valued at about $31,000. Blue Trust Inc. boosted its position in shares of Lincoln National by 535.5% during the third quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 1,074 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $33,000 after buying an additional 905 shares during the period. Eastern Bank bought a new position in shares of Lincoln National in the third quarter worth $40,000. Finally, Pathway Financial Advisers LLC acquired a new position in Lincoln National during the 1st quarter valued at about $45,000. 72.81% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Lincoln National Stock Performance

LNC opened at $35.34 on Monday. Lincoln National Co. has a 52-week low of $23.40 and a 52-week high of $36.98. The company has a market cap of $6.02 billion, a PE ratio of 25.24, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.31 and a beta of 1.79. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.73, a quick ratio of 0.27 and a current ratio of 0.27. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $32.92 and a 200-day moving average of $31.87.

Lincoln National (NYSE:LNC) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, October 31st. The financial services provider reported $2.06 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.64 by $0.42. The firm had revenue of $4.11 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.61 billion. Lincoln National had a net margin of 2.51% and a return on equity of 18.15%. The business’s quarterly revenue was down 2.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $0.23 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Lincoln National Co. will post 6.53 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Lincoln National Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, February 3rd. Shareholders of record on Friday, January 10th will be given a $0.45 dividend. This represents a $1.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 5.09%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, January 10th. Lincoln National’s dividend payout ratio is currently 128.57%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts have commented on the stock. Morgan Stanley dropped their price target on shares of Lincoln National from $30.00 to $29.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, August 19th. TD Cowen assumed coverage on shares of Lincoln National in a research report on Wednesday, October 9th. They issued a “hold” rating and a $34.00 price target on the stock. StockNews.com upgraded Lincoln National from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, November 7th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their target price on Lincoln National from $28.00 to $29.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 10th. Finally, Barclays increased their price target on Lincoln National from $35.00 to $36.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 8th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have assigned a hold rating and two have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $33.00.

Insider Transactions at Lincoln National

In other news, EVP John Christopher Kennedy sold 2,863 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, November 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $36.00, for a total transaction of $103,068.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 99,644 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,587,184. This represents a 2.79 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.54% of the company’s stock.

Lincoln National Company Profile

Lincoln National Corporation, through its subsidiaries, operates multiple insurance and retirement businesses in the United States. It operates in four segments: Life Insurance, Annuities, Group Protection, and Retirement Plan Services. The Life Insurance segment provides life insurance products, including term insurance, universal life insurance (UL), indexed universal life insurance, variable universal life insurance (VUL), linked-benefit UL and VUL products, and critical illness and long-term care riders.