Short Interest in CNA Financial Co. (NYSE:CNA) Expands By 10.1%

CNA Financial Co. (NYSE:CNA) was the recipient of a significant growth in short interest in the month of September. As of September 15th, there was short interest totalling 1,200,000 shares, a growth of 10.1% from the August 31st total of 1,090,000 shares. Currently, 0.5% of the shares of the company are sold short. Based on an average trading volume of 341,200 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 3.5 days.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Separately, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upped their price objective on CNA Financial from $48.00 to $53.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research note on Thursday, August 1st.

CNA Financial Price Performance

Shares of CNA stock traded up $0.17 during trading hours on Tuesday, hitting $49.11. The company had a trading volume of 259,227 shares, compared to its average volume of 275,591. The firm has a market capitalization of $13.32 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.72, a PEG ratio of 3.39 and a beta of 0.65. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.30, a quick ratio of 0.27 and a current ratio of 0.27. CNA Financial has a 12 month low of $37.95 and a 12 month high of $52.36. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $49.71 and its 200 day moving average is $46.52.

CNA Financial (NYSE:CNA) last announced its earnings results on Monday, July 29th. The insurance provider reported $1.19 EPS for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $1.19. The business had revenue of $3.52 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.08 billion. CNA Financial had a return on equity of 14.02% and a net margin of 9.27%. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $1.13 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts predict that CNA Financial will post 4.87 EPS for the current fiscal year.

CNA Financial Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, August 29th. Stockholders of record on Monday, August 12th were issued a $0.44 dividend. This represents a $1.76 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.58%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, August 12th. CNA Financial’s payout ratio is currently 38.43%.

Insider Activity at CNA Financial

In related news, EVP Jane Elizabeth Possell sold 4,444 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $48.08, for a total transaction of $213,667.52. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 30,009 shares in the company, valued at $1,442,832.72. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. In related news, EVP Jane Elizabeth Possell sold 4,444 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $48.08, for a total transaction of $213,667.52. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 30,009 shares in the company, valued at $1,442,832.72. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP Elizabeth Ann Aguinaga sold 26,160 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $49.60, for a total value of $1,297,536.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 47,744 shares in the company, valued at $2,368,102.40. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 49,151 shares of company stock worth $2,449,311 over the last three months. Company insiders own 0.30% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. GAMMA Investing LLC boosted its holdings in shares of CNA Financial by 28.5% in the 1st quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 1,144 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $52,000 after acquiring an additional 254 shares in the last quarter. Fairscale Capital LLC acquired a new position in CNA Financial during the 2nd quarter worth $55,000. Abich Financial Wealth Management LLC lifted its holdings in CNA Financial by 39.1% during the 1st quarter. Abich Financial Wealth Management LLC now owns 1,756 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $80,000 after buying an additional 494 shares in the last quarter. Covestor Ltd lifted its holdings in CNA Financial by 82.0% during the 1st quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 1,971 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $90,000 after buying an additional 888 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Whittier Trust Co. acquired a new position in CNA Financial during the 2nd quarter worth $92,000. 98.45% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.