CNA Financial (NYSE:CNA) Stock Rating Lowered by StockNews.com

StockNews.com lowered shares of CNA Financial (NYSE:CNA) from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report released on Tuesday.

Separately, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lowered their price target on CNA Financial from $55.00 to $54.00 and set a “market perform” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, January 10th.

CNA Financial Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:CNA opened at $49.42 on Tuesday. CNA Financial has a 1-year low of $42.33 and a 1-year high of $52.36. The firm has a market capitalization of $13.38 billion, a PE ratio of 10.30 and a beta of 0.66. The business’s 50 day moving average is $48.48 and its 200-day moving average is $49.09. The company has a current ratio of 0.26, a quick ratio of 0.26 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.28.

CNA Financial (NYSE:CNA) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Monday, February 10th. The insurance provider reported $1.25 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.11 by $0.14. CNA Financial had a return on equity of 13.30% and a net margin of 9.26%. Sell-side analysts predict that CNA Financial will post 4.68 earnings per share for the current year.

CNA Financial Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, March 13th. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 24th will be given a $0.46 dividend. This represents a $1.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.72%. This is a boost from CNA Financial’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.44. The ex-dividend date is Monday, February 24th. CNA Financial’s dividend payout ratio is 52.27%.

Institutional Trading of CNA Financial

A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. CANADA LIFE ASSURANCE Co grew its holdings in shares of CNA Financial by 119.8% during the fourth quarter. CANADA LIFE ASSURANCE Co now owns 12,447 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $602,000 after purchasing an additional 6,784 shares during the last quarter. Regal Investment Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of CNA Financial by 49.1% during the fourth quarter. Regal Investment Advisors LLC now owns 10,140 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $490,000 after purchasing an additional 3,339 shares during the last quarter. Bridgewater Associates LP grew its holdings in shares of CNA Financial by 11.0% during the fourth quarter. Bridgewater Associates LP now owns 49,565 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $2,397,000 after purchasing an additional 4,908 shares during the last quarter. Guggenheim Capital LLC grew its holdings in shares of CNA Financial by 9.7% during the fourth quarter. Guggenheim Capital LLC now owns 18,207 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $881,000 after purchasing an additional 1,611 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Mariner LLC grew its holdings in shares of CNA Financial by 15.7% during the fourth quarter. Mariner LLC now owns 16,213 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $784,000 after purchasing an additional 2,202 shares during the last quarter. 98.45% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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.