CNA Financial (NYSE:CNA) Cut to Hold at StockNews.com

StockNews.com downgraded shares of CNA Financial (NYSE:CNA) from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research note issued to investors on Tuesday morning.

Several other research firms have also weighed in on CNA. Bank of America upped their target price on CNA Financial from $45.00 to $48.00 and gave the company an “underperform” rating in a report on Thursday, October 10th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upped their target price on shares of CNA Financial from $48.00 to $53.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a report on Thursday, August 1st.

CNA Financial Stock Performance

NYSE:CNA traded up $0.39 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, reaching $49.11. 7,485 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 276,118. The stock has a market capitalization of $13.30 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.15, a P/E/G ratio of 3.41 and a beta of 0.65. CNA Financial has a 1 year low of $38.32 and a 1 year high of $52.36. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $49.41 and a 200-day simple moving average of $47.36. The company has a quick ratio of 0.27, a current ratio of 0.26 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.28.

CNA Financial (NYSE:CNA) last announced its earnings results on Monday, November 4th. The insurance provider reported $1.08 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.07 by $0.01. CNA Financial had a net margin of 9.26% and a return on equity of 13.30%. The business had revenue of $3.62 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.15 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $1.06 earnings per share. Analysts anticipate that CNA Financial will post 4.55 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

CNA Financial Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 5th. Shareholders of record on Monday, November 18th will be paid a $0.44 dividend. This represents a $1.76 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.58%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, November 18th. CNA Financial’s payout ratio is 36.67%.

Insider Activity

In other CNA Financial news, EVP Mark Steven James sold 18,547 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, September 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $50.58, for a total transaction of $938,107.26. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 22,917 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,159,141.86. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. In other CNA Financial news, EVP Elizabeth Ann Aguinaga sold 26,160 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $49.60, for a total transaction of $1,297,536.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 47,744 shares in the company, valued at $2,368,102.40. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Mark Steven James sold 18,547 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, September 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $50.58, for a total transaction of $938,107.26. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 22,917 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,159,141.86. This represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Corporate insiders own 0.30% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of CNA Financial

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in CNA. Tidal Investments LLC grew its stake in shares of CNA Financial by 335.4% in the first quarter. Tidal Investments LLC now owns 30,046 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $1,365,000 after buying an additional 23,146 shares in the last quarter. Entropy Technologies LP acquired a new stake in CNA Financial in the first quarter valued at approximately $520,000. Symmetry Partners LLC raised its stake in shares of CNA Financial by 318.3% during the second quarter. Symmetry Partners LLC now owns 20,361 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $938,000 after purchasing an additional 15,493 shares during the period. AQR Capital Management LLC lifted its position in shares of CNA Financial by 97.9% during the second quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 1,152,528 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $51,760,000 after purchasing an additional 570,172 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC purchased a new position in shares of CNA Financial in the second quarter valued at $273,000. 98.45% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

CNA Financial Company Profile

CNA Financial Corporation provides commercial property and casualty insurance products in the United States and internationally. It operates through Specialty, Commercial, International, Life & Group, and Corporate & Other segments. The company offers professional liability coverages and risk management services to various professional firms, including architects, real estate agents, and accounting and law firms; directors and officers, employment practices, fiduciary, and fidelity and cyber coverages to small and mid-size firms, public and privately held firms, and not-for-profit organizations; professional and general liability, as well as associated casualty coverages for healthcare industry; surety and fidelity bonds; and warranty and alternative risks products.