Analysts have provided the following ratings for Lincoln National (NYSE:LNC) within the last quarter:

In the last 3 months, 7 analysts have offered 12-month price targets for Lincoln National. The company has an average price target of $69.57 with a high of $73.00 and a low of $66.00.

This current average represents a 7.03% increase from the previous average price target of $65.0.

Analyst Ratings: What Are They?

Analysts are specialists within banking and financial systems that typically report for specific stocks or within defined sectors. These people research company financial statements, sit in conference calls and meetings, and speak with relevant insiders to determine what are known as analyst ratings for stocks. Typically, analysts will rate each stock once a quarter.

Analysts can recommend "buy", "sell", "hold", or similar verbage for each stock based on that company's recent performance. "Buy" indicates that an analyst is optimistic about a stock's short-term or mid-term growth and is a recommendation to purchase the stock. On the other hand, "Sell" implies that an analyst forecasts a downwards trend for the stock. "Hold" suggests that investors should maintain their positions on that stock because of forecasted stagnation or lack of new information.

Some analysts publish their predictions for metrics such as growth estimates, earnings, and revenue to provide additional guidance with their ratings. When using analyst ratings, it is important to keep in mind that stock and sector analysts are also human and are only offering their opinions to investors.