Lincoln National Corporation (LNC) Hits Fresh High: Is There Still Room to Run?

Have you been paying attention to shares of Lincoln National (LNC)? Shares have been on the move with the stock up 15.5% over the past month. The stock hit a new 52-week high of $36.98 in the previous session. Lincoln National has gained 36.6% since the start of the year compared to the 24.1% move for the Zacks Finance sector and the 29.7% return for the Zacks Insurance - Life Insurance industry.What's Driving the Outperformance?The stock has a great record of positive earnings surprises, as it hasn't missed our earnings consensus estimate in any of the last four quarters. In its last earnings report on October 31, 2024, Lincoln National reported EPS of $2.06 versus consensus estimate of $1.64.For the current fiscal year, Lincoln National is expected to post earnings of $6.61 per share on $18.4 billion in revenues. This represents a 26.63% change in EPS on a 14.78% change in revenues. For the next fiscal year, the company is expected to earn $7.63 per share on $19.18 billion in revenues. This represents a year-over-year change of 15.55% and 4.26%, respectively.Valuation MetricsLincoln National may be at a 52-week high right now, but what might the future hold for the stock? A key aspect of this question is taking a look at valuation metrics in order to determine if the company has run ahead of itself.On this front, we can look at the Zacks Style Scores, as they provide investors with an additional way to sort through stocks (beyond looking at the Zacks Rank of a security). These styles are represented by grades running from A to F in the categories of Value, Growth, and Momentum, while there is a combined VGM Score as well. The idea behind the style scores is to help investors pick the most appropriate Zacks Rank stocks based on their individual investment style.Lincoln National has a Value Score of A. The stock's Growth and Momentum Scores are D and C, respectively, giving the company a VGM Score of B.In terms of its value breakdown, the stock currently trades at 5.6X current fiscal year EPS estimates, which is not in-line with the peer industry average of 11.2X. On a trailing cash flow basis, the stock currently trades at 6.7X versus its peer group's average of 11.5X. Additionally, the stock has a PEG ratio of 0.32. This isn't enough to put the company in the top echelon of all stocks we cover from a value perspective.Zacks RankWe also need to look at the Zacks Rank for the stock, as this supersedes any trend on the style score front. Fortunately, Lincoln National currently has a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy) thanks to rising earnings estimates.Since we recommend that investors select stocks carrying Zacks Rank of 1 (Strong Buy) or 2 (Buy) and Style Scores of A or B, it looks as if Lincoln National fits the bill. Thus, it seems as though Lincoln National shares could have potential in the weeks and months to come.How Does LNC Stack Up to the Competition?Shares of LNC have been soaring, and the company still appears to be a decent choice, but what about the rest of the industry? One industry peer that looks good is Reinsurance Group of America, Incorporated (RGA). RGA has a Zacks Rank of # 2 (Buy) and a Value Score of A, a Growth Score of C, and a Momentum Score of B.Earnings were strong last quarter. Reinsurance Group of America, Incorporated beat our consensus estimate by 19.03%, and for the current fiscal year, RGA is expected to post earnings of $22.75 per share on revenue of $22.36 billion.Shares of Reinsurance Group of America, Incorporated have gained 5.2% over the past month, and currently trade at a forward P/E of 10.38X and a P/CF of 12.02X.The Insurance - Life Insurance industry is in the top 20% of all the industries we have in our universe, so it looks like there are some nice tailwinds for LNC and RGA, even beyond their own solid fundamental situation.Free Today: Profiting from The Future’s Brightest Energy SourceThe demand for electricity is growing exponentially. At the same time, we’re working to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels like oil and natural gas. Nuclear energy is an ideal replacement.Leaders from the US and 21 other countries recently committed to TRIPLING the world’s nuclear energy capacities. 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