CNA Financial Co. (NYSE:CNA) Shares Sold by New York State Common Retirement Fund

New York State Common Retirement Fund reduced its position in shares of CNA Financial Co. (NYSE:CNA) by 80.9% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 267,096 shares of the insurance provider’s stock after selling 1,134,443 shares during the period. New York State Common Retirement Fund’s holdings in CNA Financial were worth $12,919,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of CNA. HighTower Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in CNA Financial by 107.1% during the 3rd quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC now owns 22,172 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $1,066,000 after buying an additional 11,468 shares during the last quarter. Creative Planning raised its position in shares of CNA Financial by 16.5% during the 3rd quarter. Creative Planning now owns 16,067 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $786,000 after acquiring an additional 2,272 shares in the last quarter. Quest Partners LLC lifted its stake in CNA Financial by 69.3% during the third quarter. Quest Partners LLC now owns 26,737 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $1,309,000 after purchasing an additional 10,940 shares during the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP boosted its holdings in CNA Financial by 43.9% in the third quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 41,051 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $2,009,000 after purchasing an additional 12,528 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Barclays PLC increased its stake in CNA Financial by 108.7% in the third quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 31,444 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $1,539,000 after purchasing an additional 16,377 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 98.45% of the company’s stock.

CNA Financial Trading Down 0.9 %

NYSE:CNA opened at $49.26 on Monday. The company has a market capitalization of $13.34 billion, a PE ratio of 13.99, a P/E/G ratio of 9.23 and a beta of 0.66. CNA Financial Co. has a 52-week low of $42.33 and a 52-week high of $52.36. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $48.51 and its 200 day moving average price is $49.11. The company has a quick ratio of 0.28, a current ratio of 0.28 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.28.

CNA Financial (NYSE:CNA) last announced its earnings results on Monday, February 10th. The insurance provider reported $1.25 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.11 by $0.14. CNA Financial had a net margin of 6.72% and a return on equity of 12.90%. On average, research analysts anticipate that CNA Financial Co. will post 4.64 EPS for the current year.

CNA Financial Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, March 13th. Stockholders of record on Monday, February 24th will be issued a $0.46 dividend. This represents a $1.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.74%. This is a boost from CNA Financial’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.44. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, February 24th. CNA Financial’s dividend payout ratio is presently 50.00%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. StockNews.com downgraded shares of CNA Financial from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 11th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reduced their price target on shares of CNA Financial from $54.00 to $53.00 and set a “market perform” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, February 12th.

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.