CNA Financial (NYSE:CNA) Upgraded at Wall Street Zen

Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of CNA Financial (NYSE:CNA) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research report report published on Friday morning.

Other equities analysts have also issued reports about the stock. Zacks Research lowered shares of CNA Financial from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, January 1st. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of CNA Financial in a report on Monday, December 29th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating, According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $53.00.

CNA Financial Stock Performance

CNA stock opened at $46.27 on Friday. CNA Financial has a 1-year low of $43.29 and a 1-year high of $51.34. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $46.61 and a 200 day moving average price of $46.35. The company has a market capitalization of $12.52 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.68, a PEG ratio of 4.47 and a beta of 0.37. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.26, a current ratio of 0.28 and a quick ratio of 0.28.

CNA Financial (NYSE:CNA) last issued its earnings results on Monday, November 3rd. The insurance provider reported $1.50 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.25 by $0.25. CNA Financial had a net margin of 6.71% and a return on equity of 12.78%. The company had revenue of $3.82 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.84 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $1.08 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that CNA Financial will post 4.64 EPS for the current fiscal year.

CNA Financial Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, December 4th. Stockholders of record on Monday, November 17th were given a $0.46 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, November 17th. This represents a $1.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.0%. CNA Financial’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 50.41%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Chairman Dino Robusto sold 6,250 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $47.62, for a total transaction of $297,625.00. Following the transaction, the chairman directly owned 661,838 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $31,516,725.56. This represents a 0.94% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. In the last quarter, insiders sold 18,750 shares of company stock worth $873,875. 0.36% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On CNA Financial

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of CNA. Alpine Bank Wealth Management increased its holdings in shares of CNA Financial by 70.0% during the third quarter. Alpine Bank Wealth Management now owns 556 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 229 shares in the last quarter. Covestor Ltd grew its position in CNA Financial by 129.7% during the 3rd quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 712 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 402 shares during the last quarter. Allworth Financial LP increased its stake in CNA Financial by 102.3% during the 2nd quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 785 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $37,000 after purchasing an additional 397 shares in the last quarter. Ameriflex Group Inc. increased its stake in CNA Financial by 100.0% during the 3rd quarter. Ameriflex Group Inc. now owns 820 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $38,000 after purchasing an additional 410 shares in the last quarter. Finally, IFP Advisors Inc raised its holdings in shares of CNA Financial by 240.3% in the second quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 878 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $41,000 after buying an additional 620 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 98.45% of the company’s stock.

CNA Financial Company Profile

CNA Financial Corporation is a leading U.S.-based commercial property and casualty insurance company offering a broad portfolio of risk management and insurance solutions. The company underwrites coverage for businesses of all sizes across a variety of industry sectors, including manufacturing, healthcare, energy, technology, construction and real estate. In addition to core property and casualty insurance, CNA delivers specialized products such as surety bonds, professional liability, environmental liability and commercial auto coverage.

Headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, CNA traces its origins to the founding of Continental Casualty Company in 1897.