Caxton Associates LP Lowers Position in CNA Financial Co. (NYSE:CNA)

Caxton Associates LP reduced its stake in CNA Financial Co. (NYSE:CNA) by 44.8% during the 1st quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor owned 5,149 shares of the insurance provider’s stock after selling 4,184 shares during the period. Caxton Associates LP’s holdings in CNA Financial were worth $234,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. CENTRAL TRUST Co acquired a new stake in shares of CNA Financial during the fourth quarter valued at about $25,000. Blue Trust Inc. purchased a new stake in CNA Financial in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $27,000. GAMMA Investing LLC purchased a new stake in CNA Financial in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $39,000. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC acquired a new position in CNA Financial during the fourth quarter worth $48,000. Finally, Covestor Ltd boosted its position in shares of CNA Financial by 82.0% during the first quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 1,971 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $90,000 after buying an additional 888 shares during the period. 98.45% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

CNA Financial Stock Up 1.1 %

CNA Financial stock traded up $0.56 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, reaching $49.80. 169,056 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 257,477. The company has a quick ratio of 0.27, a current ratio of 0.27 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31. CNA Financial Co. has a twelve month low of $37.95 and a twelve month high of $50.79. The company has a market cap of $13.51 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.83, a P/E/G ratio of 2.92 and a beta of 0.64. The company has a fifty day moving average of $45.56 and a 200-day moving average of $44.72.

CNA Financial (NYSE:CNA) last released its earnings results on Monday, July 29th. The insurance provider reported $1.19 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, meeting analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.19. CNA Financial had a return on equity of 14.27% and a net margin of 9.17%. The firm had revenue of $3.52 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.08 billion. During the same period last year, the business posted $1.13 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts expect that CNA Financial Co. will post 4.96 EPS for the current year.

CNA Financial Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, August 29th. Investors of record on Monday, August 12th will be issued a $0.44 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, August 12th. This represents a $1.76 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.53%. CNA Financial’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 38.43%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

CNA has been the topic of several research analyst reports. StockNews.com upgraded CNA Financial from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, May 16th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lifted their target price on CNA Financial from $48.00 to $50.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 10th.

Insider Activity

In related news, CAO Daniel Paul Franzetti sold 23,301 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $44.78, for a total value of $1,043,418.78. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer now owns 63,996 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,865,740.88. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Company insiders own 0.30% of the company’s stock.

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.