Lincoln National (NYSE:LNC) Given New $51.00 Price Target at Keefe, Bruyette & Woods

Lincoln National (NYSE:LNC) had its price objective lifted by Keefe, Bruyette & Woods from $46.00 to $51.00 in a note issued to investors on Friday,Benzinga reports. The firm presently has an “outperform” rating on the financial services provider’s stock. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods’ target price would indicate a potential upside of 10.74% from the company’s previous close.

Several other research analysts have also recently weighed in on LNC. Weiss Ratings cut Lincoln National from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research report on Monday, May 11th. Morgan Stanley decreased their target price on shares of Lincoln National from $43.00 to $40.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, May 21st. Barclays upgraded shares of Lincoln National from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and boosted their price objective for the stock from $42.00 to $45.00 in a research note on Monday, July 6th. National Bank Financial set a $51.00 price target on Lincoln National in a research note on Thursday, July 9th. Finally, Bank of America reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and set a $47.00 target price on shares of Lincoln National in a report on Thursday. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have assigned a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $46.29.

Lincoln National Trading Up 11.2%

LNC opened at $46.05 on Friday. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $38.04 and its two-hundred day moving average is $37.40. The firm has a market cap of $8.81 billion, a PE ratio of 5.34, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.93 and a beta of 1.17. Lincoln National has a twelve month low of $32.18 and a twelve month high of $46.82. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.65, a quick ratio of 0.25 and a current ratio of 0.25.

Lincoln National (NYSE:LNC) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The financial services provider reported $2.24 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.96 by $0.28. The company had revenue of $4.93 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.89 billion. Lincoln National had a net margin of 9.17% and a return on equity of 18.07%. The firm’s revenue was up 12.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $2.36 EPS. Equities research analysts anticipate that Lincoln National will post 7.73 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP Craigt T. Beazer sold 30,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, June 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $34.45, for a total transaction of $1,033,500.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 103,906 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,579,561.70. This represents a 22.40% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 1.03% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Lincoln National

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Baird Financial Group Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Lincoln National during the first quarter worth approximately $241,000. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. grew its position in Lincoln National by 30.9% in the 1st quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 71,981 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $2,585,000 after purchasing an additional 16,991 shares during the period. Empowered Funds LLC increased its stake in Lincoln National by 316.9% during the 1st quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 59,115 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $2,123,000 after purchasing an additional 44,936 shares in the last quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC increased its stake in Lincoln National by 5.0% during the 1st quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 623,322 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $22,383,000 after purchasing an additional 29,421 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Focus Partners Wealth raised its holdings in Lincoln National by 39.1% during the first quarter. Focus Partners Wealth now owns 19,530 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $701,000 after buying an additional 5,486 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 72.81% of the company’s stock.

Lincoln National News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Lincoln National this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Lincoln Financial reported second-quarter adjusted operating income of $439 million, or $2.24 per diluted share, exceeding analyst expectations of approximately $1.96-$2.00 per share. Revenue reached $4.93 billion, also slightly above consensus estimates. Lincoln Financial Reports 2026 Second Quarter Results
• Positive Sentiment: Net income available to common stockholders was $1.3 billion, or $6.72 per diluted share, while revenue increased 12.3% from the prior-year quarter. The strong profitability and improved operating performance are likely supporting the stock’s advance. Lincoln National Q2 Earnings Snapshot
• Positive Sentiment: The company entered into a major reinsurance deal covering a legacy block, a move that may reduce capital and liability exposure while improving the profile of Lincoln’s insurance portfolio. Investors appear to view the transaction as an important strategic catalyst. Lincoln National Is Up After Earnings Beat and Reinsurance Deal
• Neutral Sentiment: Management highlighted continued progress against its strategic and financial goals during the earnings call, though investors will likely monitor execution of the reinsurance agreement and its effect on future capital, earnings and risk metrics. Lincoln National Q2 FY2026 Earnings Call Transcript
• Negative Sentiment: Adjusted earnings declined from $2.36 per share in the year-ago quarter, and one report characterized sales as below analyst estimates. This suggests that, despite the earnings beat, some underlying growth measures remain a concern. Lincoln Financial Group Reports Sales Below Estimates

Lincoln National Company Profile

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.