Short Interest in CNA Financial Co. (NYSE:CNA) Expands By 12.8%

CNA Financial Co. (NYSE:CNA) was the recipient of a significant growth in short interest in December. As of December 31st, there was short interest totalling 917,400 shares, a growth of 12.8% from the December 15th total of 813,400 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 260,200 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 3.5 days. Currently, 0.3% of the shares of the stock are sold short.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

CNA has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. StockNews.com upgraded CNA Financial from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 13th. Bank of America lifted their price target on CNA Financial from $45.00 to $48.00 and gave the stock an “underperform” rating in a report on Thursday, October 10th. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods dropped their price objective on shares of CNA Financial from $55.00 to $54.00 and set a “market perform” rating for the company in a report on Friday, January 10th.

CNA Financial Trading Up 0.3 %

CNA Financial stock traded up $0.17 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $48.93. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 221,117 shares, compared to its average volume of 181,018. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $48.59 and its two-hundred day moving average is $48.80. The company has a current ratio of 0.26, a quick ratio of 0.26 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.28. The firm has a market capitalization of $13.25 billion, a PE ratio of 10.19, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.70 and a beta of 0.67. CNA Financial has a 1 year low of $42.24 and a 1 year high of $52.36.

CNA Financial (NYSE:CNA) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Monday, November 4th. The insurance provider reported $1.08 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.07 by $0.01. CNA Financial had a return on equity of 13.30% and a net margin of 9.26%. The firm had revenue of $3.62 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.15 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.06 EPS. On average, analysts anticipate that CNA Financial will post 4.68 EPS for the current year.

CNA Financial Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, December 5th. Investors of record on Monday, November 18th were issued a $0.44 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, November 18th. This represents a $1.76 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.60%. CNA Financial’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 36.67%.

Insider Activity at CNA Financial

In other CNA Financial news, EVP Douglas Worman sold 22,973 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, November 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $48.75, for a total value of $1,119,933.75. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 133,777 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,521,628.75. This trade represents a 14.66 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. 0.31% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in CNA. American Century Companies Inc. lifted its position in shares of CNA Financial by 786.5% during the second quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 153,669 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $7,080,000 after purchasing an additional 136,334 shares in the last quarter. Federated Hermes Inc. acquired a new stake in CNA Financial during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $368,000. Vanguard Personalized Indexing Management LLC boosted its position in CNA Financial by 12.9% in the 2nd quarter. Vanguard Personalized Indexing Management LLC now owns 10,355 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $477,000 after buying an additional 1,183 shares during the period. Hsbc Holdings PLC grew its stake in shares of CNA Financial by 178.9% in the second quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC now owns 76,136 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $3,505,000 after acquiring an additional 48,837 shares in the last quarter. Finally, AE Wealth Management LLC grew its stake in shares of CNA Financial by 1.1% in the second quarter. AE Wealth Management LLC now owns 39,256 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $1,809,000 after acquiring an additional 431 shares in the last quarter. 98.45% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About CNA Financial

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.