Group 1: Zacks Premium Overview - Zacks Premium offers various tools for investors to enhance their stock market strategies, including daily updates on Zacks Rank and Industry Rank, access to the Zacks 1 Rank List, Equity Research reports, and Premium stock screens [1] - The service aims to help investors become more knowledgeable and confident in their investment decisions [1] Group 2: Zacks Style Scores - Zacks Style Scores provide a rating system for stocks based on value, growth, and momentum, designed to complement the Zacks Rank [2][7] - Each stock is rated from A to F, with A indicating the highest potential for outperforming the market [3] - The Style Scores are categorized into four types: Value Score, Growth Score, Momentum Score, and VGM Score, each focusing on different investment strategies [3][4][5][6] Group 3: Zacks Rank and Performance - The Zacks Rank is a proprietary model that utilizes earnings estimate revisions to assist investors in portfolio building [7] - Stocks rated 1 (Strong Buy) have historically produced an average annual return of +25.41% since 1988, significantly outperforming the S&P 500 [8] - There are over 800 stocks rated 1 or 2, which can be overwhelming for investors [8] Group 4: Stock Analysis - Lincoln National Corp. (LNC) - Lincoln National Corp. is a diversified life insurance and investment management company, operating under Lincoln Financial Group [11] - LNC holds a 3 (Hold) rating on the Zacks Rank, with a VGM Score of B and a Momentum Style Score of A, indicating strong momentum [12] - The stock has seen a 4.2% increase over the past four weeks, with upward revisions in earnings estimates for fiscal 2024 [12] - LNC's earnings surprise average stands at 15.9%, making it a noteworthy option for investors [12][13]

Core Insights - Lincoln National Corporation (LNC) has launched two new Variable Universal Life (VUL) products as part of the Lincoln AssetEdge series, including an upgraded Lincoln AssetEdge VUL (2025) and a new Lincoln AssetEdge SVUL [1] Product Details - The Lincoln AssetEdge VUL (2025) features enhancements such as an Enhanced Overloan Protection Endorsement at no upfront cost, which protects heavily loaned policies from lapsing under certain conditions [2] - The product also removes the allocation threshold for indexed accounts, allowing unrestricted access during the initial policy years, and introduces two new hedged equity investment options with lower fund fees [3] - The Lincoln AssetEdge SVUL is designed for couples and businesses, providing a death benefit after the second insured's passing, with competitive short-pay pricing and a no-lapse guarantee [4] Strategic Implications - The launch of these VUL products reflects Lincoln National's strategy to meet the financial and protection needs of individuals, couples, and businesses, capitalizing on the high demand for VULs due to their tax-deferred cash value growth and flexible options [5] - The new offerings are expected to enhance Lincoln National's life insurance portfolio, driving higher sales and improving the Life Insurance segment's performance [6] Market Performance - Lincoln National's shares have increased by 18.6% over the past year, compared to the industry's growth of 27%, and the company currently holds a Zacks Rank of 3 (Hold) [7]

Disclosure and Legal Information - The author holds a beneficial long position in LNC shares through stock ownership, options, or other derivatives [1] - The author owns European/Scandinavian tickers (not ADRs) of all European/Scandinavian companies mentioned in articles [2] - The author owns Canadian tickers of all Canadian stocks written about [2] - The article expresses the author's personal opinions and is not financial advice [2] - Seeking Alpha analysts are third-party authors, including both professional and individual investors, who may not be licensed or certified [3] Investment Considerations - Investing in European/Non-US stocks involves withholding tax risks specific to the company's domicile and the investor's personal situation [2] - Investors should consult a tax professional regarding dividend withholding taxes and mitigation strategies [2] - Short-term trading, options trading, and futures trading are potentially extremely risky and may not be suitable for investors with limited capital, experience, or risk tolerance [2] Platform Information - Seeking Alpha is not a licensed securities dealer, broker, or US investment adviser/bank [3] - Past performance is no guarantee of future results, and no investment recommendations are provided [3] - Views expressed may not reflect those of Seeking Alpha as a whole [3]

Redesigning and repricing of products and services to maintain sales and profitability have been driving Zacks Life Insurance industry players. Increased automation is expected to drive premium growth and boost the efficiency of Sun Life Financial Inc. (SLF) , Reinsurance Group of America, Incorporated (RGA) , Primerica (PRI) , Voya Financial Inc. (VOYA) and Lincoln National (LNC) . However, with three 50 basis points interest rate cuts and two more expected this year, life insurers will likely face challen ...

Core Viewpoint - Lincoln National Corporation (LNC) is experiencing strong performance in its Annuities and Group Protection segments, supported by strategic product shifts, effective expense management, technology adoption, and a solid financial foundation [1]. Financial Performance - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Lincoln National's 2024 earnings is $6.98 per share, reflecting a year-over-year increase of 33.7%. Revenue is estimated at $18.4 billion, indicating a 14.8% year-over-year growth [2]. - LNC's earnings have exceeded estimates in the last four quarters, with an average surprise of 15.85% [3]. - The consensus estimate for 2025 earnings is $7.61 per share, representing a 9% increase from the 2024 estimate, while revenues are projected at $19.2 billion, implying a 4.3% growth from 2024 [19]. Business Segments - Revenue growth is driven by the strong performance of the Annuities and Group Protection segments, with increased account values and improved spread income contributing to the Annuities segment's success [4]. - The Group Protection unit has seen a 28.7% year-over-year increase in operating income during the first nine months of 2024, aided by expanded scale, broader distribution networks, and strategic acquisitions [22]. Financial Stability - Lincoln National maintains a robust financial position, with cash and invested cash reaching $6 billion as of September 30, 2024, a 78.7% increase from the end of 2023. This strong cash position allows the company to pursue growth opportunities and strategically distribute capital [5]. - The company's dividend yield stands at 5.7%, higher than the industry average of 3.2% [5]. Valuation Metrics - Lincoln National's price-to-book (P/B) ratio is 0.67, significantly lower than the life insurance industry's trailing 12-month P/B ratio of 1.96, indicating that the stock is currently undervalued [12]. - The return on equity for LNC is 18.2%, surpassing the industry average of 15.5%, demonstrating the company's efficiency in utilizing shareholders' funds [21]. Strategic Focus - The company serves approximately 17 million customers, positioning itself for sustained sales growth. It is shifting its product mix towards offerings without long-term guarantees to reduce sensitivity to interest rate fluctuations [14]. - Ongoing expense management initiatives have supported margin improvements, while the adoption of advanced technologies has enhanced operational efficiency and customer experience [14].

Core Viewpoint - Lincoln National (LNC) is currently rated as a Zacks Rank 2 (Buy), indicating a positive earnings outlook, while The Baldwin Insurance Group (BWIN) is rated 5 (Strong Sell), suggesting a negative outlook for its earnings [1] Valuation Metrics - LNC has a Price-to-Book (P/B) ratio of 0.65, which is significantly lower than BWIN's P/B ratio of 4.48, indicating that LNC is undervalued compared to its book value [3] - The forward Price-to-Earnings (P/E) ratio for LNC is 4.40, while BWIN's forward P/E is 26.28, further highlighting LNC's attractiveness as a value stock [7] - LNC's PEG ratio stands at 0.26, compared to BWIN's PEG ratio of 0.79, suggesting that LNC offers better value when considering expected earnings growth [7] Investment Strategy - The combination of a strong Zacks Rank and a high Value grade is identified as a successful strategy for value investors, with LNC earning a Value grade of A and BWIN receiving a Value grade of F [5][8] - Traditional valuation metrics are emphasized as essential tools for value investors to identify undervalued stocks [6]

It doesn't matter your age or experience: taking full advantage of the stock market and investing with confidence are common goals for all investors. Luckily, Zacks Premium offers several different ways to do both.The popular research service can help you become a smarter, more self-assured investor, giving you access to daily updates of the Zacks Rank and Zacks Industry Rank, the Zacks #1 Rank List, Equity Research reports, and Premium stock screens.Zacks Premium also includes the Zacks Style Scores. What ...

Lincoln National (LNC) appears an attractive pick, as it has been recently upgraded to a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). This upgrade primarily reflects an upward trend in earnings estimates, which is one of the most powerful forces impacting stock prices.The Zacks rating relies solely on a company's changing earnings picture. It tracks EPS estimates for the current and following years from the sell-side analysts covering the stock through a consensus measure -- the Zacks Consensus Estimate.The power of a changing ear ...

Investors with an interest in Insurance - Life Insurance stocks have likely encountered both Lincoln National (LNC) and The Baldwin Insurance Group (BWIN) . But which of these two stocks presents investors with the better value opportunity right now? Let's take a closer look.The best way to find great value stocks is to pair a strong Zacks Rank with an impressive grade in the Value category of our Style Scores system. The proven Zacks Rank emphasizes companies with positive estimate revision trends, and our ...

While the proven Zacks Rank places an emphasis on earnings estimates and estimate revisions to find strong stocks, we also know that investors tend to develop their own individual strategies. With this in mind, we are always looking at value, growth, and momentum trends to discover great companies.Of these, perhaps no stock market trend is more popular than value investing, which is a strategy that has proven to be successful in all sorts of market environments. Value investors use tried-and-true metrics an ...