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Investing.com - Morgan Stanley upgraded Lincoln National (NYSE:LNC) from Equalweight to Overweight on Friday, raising its price target to $58.00 from $41.00. The stock, currently trading at an attractive P/E ratio of 6.6 and below book value, has already delivered a strong 31% return year-to-date according to InvestingPro data.
The upgrade reflects Morgan Stanley’s view that Lincoln National’s Group Protection segment is underappreciated despite being a major contributor to earnings outperformance in the past four quarters.
While second-half 2025 results are unlikely to replicate first-half performance due to seasonality, Morgan Stanley expects the Group Protection segment to continue supporting earnings with a projected three-year compound annual growth rate of 26% from 2023 to 2026.
This growth rate significantly exceeds Lincoln’s target range of 13-16%, suggesting Group Protection will play a larger role in overall earnings with higher quality and lower capital intensity.
Morgan Stanley attributes the sustainable margin expansion to strategic repricing, an expanded product suite, targeted execution in higher-margin markets and products, and robust sales and premium growth.
In other recent news, Lincoln Financial reported its second-quarter earnings, revealing an impressive earnings per share (EPS) of $2.36, which exceeded analysts’ expectations of $1.89. However, the company reported a revenue of $4.04 billion, falling short of the anticipated $4.66 billion. CFRA responded to these results by raising its price target for Lincoln National to $42, citing improved margins, while maintaining a Hold rating. Similarly, Wells Fargo increased its price target to $37, noting the strong quarterly performance despite high expectations.
Additionally, Lincoln Financial announced the appointment of Jason Crane as Senior Vice President and President of its Retirement Plan Services business. Crane will be responsible for strategy and execution within the retirement business, reporting to Jimmy Reid. The company also declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.45 per share, payable on November 3, 2025, to shareholders on record as of October 10, 2025. These developments indicate strategic moves by Lincoln Financial to bolster its leadership and shareholder value.
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