Lincoln Educational Services Co. (NASDAQ:LINC) Sees Large Decline in Short Interest

Lincoln Educational Services Co. (NASDAQ:LINC) was the recipient of a significant decrease in short interest during the month of September. As of September 30th, there was short interest totalling 261,800 shares, a decrease of 29.2% from the September 15th total of 369,700 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 112,200 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 2.3 days.

Lincoln Educational Services Trading Up 1.8 %

NASDAQ:LINC traded up $0.21 on Friday, reaching $12.04. 33,847 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 110,520. The firm has a market capitalization of $379.02 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 46.31, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.56 and a beta of 1.42. Lincoln Educational Services has a 1-year low of $7.88 and a 1-year high of $14.52. The company has a current ratio of 1.78, a quick ratio of 1.75 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17. The company’s 50 day moving average is $12.04 and its 200-day moving average is $11.65.

Lincoln Educational Services (NASDAQ:LINC) last released its earnings results on Thursday, August 8th. The company reported $0.06 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of ($0.01) by $0.07. Lincoln Educational Services had a net margin of 1.95% and a return on equity of 10.38%. The business had revenue of $102.91 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $99.60 million. Equities research analysts anticipate that Lincoln Educational Services will post 0.51 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, major shareholder Juniper Investment Company, Ll sold 2,270 shares of Lincoln Educational Services stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $12.04, for a total transaction of $27,330.80. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 874,140 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $10,524,645.60. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Insiders sold 40,819 shares of company stock worth $490,481 over the last three months. Insiders own 16.80% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Lincoln Educational Services

Institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Gladius Capital Management LP bought a new stake in shares of Lincoln Educational Services during the second quarter valued at approximately $33,000. SG Americas Securities LLC acquired a new position in Lincoln Educational Services during the third quarter worth $121,000. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company bought a new position in shares of Lincoln Educational Services in the second quarter valued at $123,000. BNP Paribas Financial Markets grew its holdings in shares of Lincoln Educational Services by 60.2% during the first quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 11,218 shares of the company’s stock valued at $116,000 after buying an additional 4,217 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Rhumbline Advisers boosted its stake in Lincoln Educational Services by 36.0% during the 2nd quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 38,162 shares of the company’s stock valued at $453,000 after purchasing an additional 10,095 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 72.23% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts have commented on the company. StockNews.com downgraded Lincoln Educational Services from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday. Barrington Research restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $16.00 price target on shares of Lincoln Educational Services in a research report on Friday, September 20th. Finally, Rosenblatt Securities raised their price target on shares of Lincoln Educational Services from $15.00 to $17.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, August 9th. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Lincoln Educational Services currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $15.75.

About Lincoln Educational Services

Lincoln Educational Services Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, provides various career-oriented post-secondary education services to high school graduates and working adults in the United States. The company operates in two segments, Campus Operations and Transitional. It offers associate's degree, and diploma and certificate programs in automotive technology; skilled trades programs, including electrical, heating and air conditioning repair, welding, computerized numerical control, and electrical and electronic systems technology; health science programs comprising licensed practical nurse, registered nurse, dental assistant, medical assistant, medical administrative assistant, and claims examiner; hospitality service and information technology programs, such as culinary, therapeutic massage, cosmetology, aesthetics, and computer systems support technicians.