LINC Analyst Ratings
Lincoln Educational Services Corporation (LINC) operates in the Consumer Defensive sector, specifically the Education & Training Services industry, with a market capitalization near $743.9M, listed on NASDAQ, employing roughly 2,390 people, carrying a beta of 0.83 to the broader market. Lincoln Educational Services Corporation, along with its affiliated entities, specializes in providing vocational and technical post-secondary education to both recent high school graduates and working adults throughout the United States. Led by Scott Shaw, public since 2005-06-23.
Analyst Ratings
In the October 2026 monthly count, 5 analysts rated LINC: 1 Strong Buy, 4 Buy, 0 Hold, 0 Sell and 0 Strong Sell.
Twelve months earlier, in October 2025: 5 analysts, 1 Strong Buy, 4 Buy, 0 Hold, 0 Sell and 0 Strong Sell.
Price Targets
- Average Target
- $55.00
- Median Target
- $55.00
- High
- $60.00
- Low
- $50.00
- Targets Published, Last 12 Months
- 17
Recent Price Targets
The 5 most recent of 17 price targets published in the last 12 months.
| Date | Firm | Analyst | Target | Price When Posted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 11, 2026 | Lake Street | Not named | $50.00 | $31.17 |
| Aug 10, 2026 | Barrington | Alexander Paris | $50.00 | $30.77 |
| Jun 11, 2026 | Rosenblatt Securities | Steve Frankel | $60.00 | $47.43 |
| May 28, 2026 | Northland Securities | Not named | $60.00 | $48.04 |
| May 12, 2026 | Northland Securities | Not named | $50.00 | $48.92 |
Recent Upgrades & Downgrades
| Date | Firm | Action | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 11, 2026 | Lake Street | maintain | Buy | Buy |
| Aug 11, 2026 | Rosenblatt | maintain | Buy | Buy |
| Jun 11, 2026 | Rosenblatt | maintain | Buy | Buy |
| May 12, 2026 | B. Riley Securities | maintain | Buy | Buy |
| May 12, 2026 | Rosenblatt | maintain | Buy | Buy |
Quantitative Rating
LINC carries a model grade of C (overall score 2 of 5), computed from six valuation and financial measures (discounted cash flow, return on equity, return on assets, debt to equity, price to earnings and price to book), each scored 1 to 5. It is not an analyst rating.
How to Read LINC Analyst Coverage
Sell-side equity analysts publish three primary outputs: ratings (Strong Buy / Buy / Hold / Sell / Strong Sell, or firm-specific equivalents), price targets, and EPS / revenue estimate revisions. Rating consensus moves slowly relative to price; it reflects 12-month directional conviction rather than near-term momentum. Price targets are more responsive but typically drift behind realized price during sharp moves. The most actionable signal for options traders is a cluster of ratings actions across multiple firms within a short window, which compresses or expands implied volatility on a horizon of days to weeks and shifts the put-call skew toward the directional consensus. The recent-actions table above shows the five most recent firm-level changes; longer histories live behind aggregator sources.
For event-driven options sizing, pair the consensus rating and target distribution with the implied-volatility surface and dealer-positioning view. Aggressive target hikes from multiple firms tend to tighten put skew (downside protection becomes relatively cheaper); aggressive cuts widen put skew. The size of the IV response in the hours after a rating change is visible on the per-ticker volatility skew page and the gamma-exposure page, both of which show how dealer hedging propagates the analyst-driven flow into the listed options chain.
Learn how analyst ratings is reported and how to read the data →
Frequently asked LINC analyst ratings questions
- What is the LINC consensus price target?
- As of the latest aggregator update, Lincoln Educational Services Corporation (LINC) carries a consensus 12-month price target of $55.00. Target ranges run from a low of $50.00 to a high of $60.00. The target is the average of the price targets published by sell-side equity analysts covering the name.
- What is the analyst rating consensus on LINC?
- In the October 2026 monthly count, 5 analysts rated LINC, and the distribution tilts to the Buy side: 1 Strong Buy, 4 Buy, 0 Hold, 0 Sell and 0 Strong Sell. Rating consensus moves slowly relative to price; it reflects sell-side conviction over a 12-month horizon rather than near-term momentum.
- What recent ratings actions has LINC seen?
- The five most recent ratings actions on LINC appear on the page above. Sell-side rating changes are watched for two reasons: an upgrade or downgrade with a meaningful target revision moves the consensus and can trigger short-term positioning shifts, and the firm-level rating cluster (multiple firms moving in the same direction within a short window) is a clearer signal than any single action. Options markets often price the implied-vol response within minutes of the announcement.
- How do analyst targets affect LINC options pricing?
- Analyst target revisions tend to be priced in by the lit options market within minutes of publication, but persistent target drift over weeks does correlate with implied-volatility movement. Aggressive target hikes from multiple firms inside a single quarter tighten put skew (downside protection becomes cheaper relative to upside speculation); aggressive cuts widen put skew. The most actionable read is the implied-vol response in the hours after a target change, which is visible on the per-ticker volatility skew page.