Stock fact sheet · data as of
Lincoln Educational Services Corporation (LINC): fair value, margin of safety and Wheel Score
Consumer Defensive · Education & Training Services · United States · High Growth
Is LINC undervalued?
At 22.56 (close of 16 Oct 2026), LINC trades 16% under the GLS average fair value of 26.74. 4 of the 7 models that produced a value land above the price. A discount of this size counts as a positive margin of safety in every GLS screen; whether it is enough depends on the rest of the picture - the health score, the moat and the option premium below.
The 7 models disagree widely: EPV gives 8.10 while GLS Growth gives 44.66. A spread that wide means the average is sensitive to which methods you trust; the model table below shows where each one lands, and the Quote page lets you switch any of them off.
The nightly engine files LINC under High Growth: revenue and earnings growing fast enough that the growth-based models carry the valuation.
Nine valuation models for LINC
Each model turns the latest filed numbers into a value per share; the GLS fair value is the simple average of the ones that produce a positive number. The last two rows are shown for reference and never enter the average. The Quote page lets you switch any model off and add your own margin of safety.
| Model | Value | vs price | What it measures |
|---|---|---|---|
| DCF | - | - | Present value of the projected free cash flows, discounted at the cost of capital; no value tonight |
| Graham Number | 10.31 | -54% | The most a defensive investor pays for the earnings and book value per share |
| Graham Growth | 41.72 | +85% | Graham's growth formula: EPS × (8.5 + 2 × growth), adjusted for bond yields |
| Lynch | 18.23 | -19% | EPS × the earnings growth rate (PEG of 1), growth capped at 25% |
| GLS Growth | 44.66 | +98% | EPS compounded ten years at the blended growth rate, discounted back at 15% a year |
| 10 Cap | 33.05 | +47% | Owner's earnings (operating cash flow less maintenance capex) capitalised at 10% |
| Payback Time | 31.08 | +38% | Eight years of compounded free cash flow: the price at which the business pays for itself |
| DDM | - | - | Dividend discount model: next year's dividend ÷ (10% − 3% growth); needs a dividend; no value tonight |
| EPV | 8.10 | -64% | Earnings power value: current EPS capitalised at 9% with no growth |
| Zombie (liquidation) | -6.51 | -129% | Current assets less all liabilities, per share: the balance-sheet floor. Not in the average |
| Wall St target | 55.00 | +144% | Analysts' average 12-month price target. Not in the average |
Quality and financial health
Financial health is average - LINC passes 6 of the nine Piotroski tests, which passes the Sunday Scan's "6 or more" rule. The Financials tab on the Quote page shows which tests fail. The GLS Moat score is 5.0 out of 10: a ten-year record that is consistent in some of the metrics the score tracks (revenue, earnings, margins, cash flow, returns on capital) and patchy in others.
Returns on capital are thin or negative - ROIC 5.0%, ROE 10.0%, ROA 4.1% - with debt at 1.02 times equity and a free-cash-flow yield of 3.4%.
Lincoln Educational Services Corporation pays no dividend, so the DDM model does not apply and a covered-call holder earns only the premium and any price gain. Revenue comes mainly from Campus Operations 100% (quarter Q2 FY2025).
Institutional ownership scores 10/10, insider activity 1/10 and Congressional trading 5/10 on the GLS smart-money scales.
| Piotroski F-score | 6 / 9 | ROIC | 5.0% |
|---|---|---|---|
| GLS Moat | 5.0 / 10 | ROE | 10.0% |
| Debt / equity | 1.02 | ROA | 4.1% |
| Free-cash-flow yield | 3.4% | Payout ratio | 0% |
| Institutions | 10 / 10 | Insiders · Congress | 1 · 5 / 10 |
Wheel Score 69: Good
LINC scores 69 out of 100 on the Wheel Score (Good band, 65-79). The score blends the margin of safety (Value, 19/25), Piotroski health (13/20), the GLS moat (8/15), the option premium on offer (19/20) and how easily the stock trades (11/20). Moat (8/15) is the part holding the score back.
Implied volatility is 65% on the near-the-money contracts 20-60 days out - above the 60% ceiling of the sweet spot. Premiums are large, but the Wheel Score tapers the Premium points (19 of 20) because volatility this high usually comes with a reason. Chain open interest is 5,313 contracts across all expiries - enough for the wheel at normal size.
Volume runs at 351k shares a day on a market cap of $716M, with a beta of 0.83; the Stability part of the Wheel Score gives that 11 of 20.
| Part | Points | From | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Value | 19 / 25 | 16% margin of safety | |
| Health | 13 / 20 | Piotroski 6/9 | |
| Moat | 8 / 15 | moat 5.0/10 | |
| Premium | 19 / 20 | implied volatility 65% | |
| Stability | 11 / 20 | 351k shares/day, $716M cap, beta 0.83 |
The Wheel Score ranks ~7,400 US stocks for selling cash-secured puts and covered calls; it is updated nightly and is not a recommendation. The walkthrough lesson shows how the score fits into a trade, start to finish.
Upcoming events
The next earnings report is due on 9 Nov 2026 (before the open), 24 days away; a 30-45-day put sold today would expire after it, which is worth weighing against the premium.
Earnings, dividend, IPO, split and economic calendars for the whole market, filterable to your watchlists.
Similar stocks in Education & Training Services
The 12 companies below are the closest to Lincoln Educational Services Corporation by market cap within the Education & Training Services industry, each with its own fact sheet; the Compare page puts up to eight of them side by side.
| Stock | Close | Fair value | MoS | Wheel | Mkt cap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PXED Phoenix Education Partners, Inc | 23.79 | 56.60 | +58% | 39No options | $858M |
| APEI American Public Education, Inc. | 49.13 | 74.71 | +34% | 78Good | $899M |
| GOTU Gaotu Techedu Inc. | 2.67 | 16.70 | +84% | 45Weak | $962M |
| UTI Universal Technical Institute, Inc. | 20.31 | 18.31 | -11% | 66Good | $1.1B |
| DFPH DFP Healthcare Acquisitions Cor | 2.01 | - | - | 20No options | $436M |
| AFYA Afya Limited | 14.52 | 85.46 | +83% | 66Good | $1.3B |
| COUR Coursera, Inc. | 5.09 | 9.88 | +48% | 45Weak | $1.3B |
| YUMM Yummies, Inc. | 0.7500 | 0.0000 | -191602102% | 10No options | $337M |
| STRA Strategic Education, Inc. | 80.97 | 180.97 | +55% | 83Prime | $1.8B |
| PRDO Perdoceo Education Corporation | 33.55 | 48.56 | +31% | 87Prime | $2.1B |
| DAO Youdao, Inc. | 18.51 | 12.84 | -44% | 39Weak | $2.2B |
| KLC KinderCare Learning Companies, Inc. | 1.83 | 19.27 | +91% | 45Weak | $217M |
⚖ Compare LINC with 7 of them All Consumer Defensive stocks →
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Start free See the Sunday ScanQuestions about LINC
Is LINC undervalued right now?
By the GLS models, moderately: at 22.56 the stock trades 16% below the average fair value of 26.74 (data as of 16 Oct 2026).
What is the Wheel Score of LINC and what does it mean?
LINC scores 69 out of 100 (Good). The Wheel Score blends the margin of safety (25 points), Piotroski health (20), the GLS moat (15), the option premium on offer (20) and trading stability (20) into one number that ranks stocks for the wheel strategy - selling cash-secured puts, then covered calls if assigned. 80 and above is Prime, 65-79 Good, 50-64 Fair, under 50 Weak.
What is the GLS fair value for LINC?
26.74 per share as of 16 Oct 2026 - the simple average of the 7 valuation models (out of nine: DCF, Graham Number, Graham Growth, Lynch, GLS Growth, 10 Cap, Payback Time, DDM and EPV) that produced a positive value. The models run every night on the latest filings; the Quote page lets you switch any of them off and add a margin of safety of your own.
When does Lincoln Educational Services Corporation report earnings next?
The next earnings report is due on 9 Nov 2026 (before the open), 24 days from the data date of 16 Oct 2026. The Calendars page lists every upcoming report with its time of day.
Does LINC have listed options, and how liquid are they?
Yes. The nightly snapshot found 118 listed contracts with 5,313 open interest across all expiries and implied volatility of 65% on the near-the-money contracts. The Options scanner lists the cash-secured put and covered call set-ups with premium and annualised yield worked out.