Keefe, Bruyette & Woods Increases CNA Financial (NYSE:CNA) Price Target to $55.00

CNA Financial (NYSE:CNA) had its price objective raised by Keefe, Bruyette & Woods from $54.00 to $55.00 in a report issued on Friday morning,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has a market perform rating on the insurance provider’s stock.

A number of other equities analysts also recently issued reports on CNA. StockNews.com downgraded shares of CNA Financial from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday. Bank of America lifted their target price on shares of CNA Financial from $45.00 to $48.00 and gave the stock an “underperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 10th.

CNA Financial Stock Up 1.2 %

Shares of CNA traded up $0.60 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $49.32. The stock had a trading volume of 213,749 shares, compared to its average volume of 277,084. The company has a market capitalization of $13.36 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.27, a P/E/G ratio of 3.41 and a beta of 0.65. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $49.36 and a 200 day simple moving average of $47.39. The company has a current ratio of 0.26, a quick ratio of 0.27 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.28. CNA Financial has a 12 month low of $38.32 and a 12 month high of $52.36.

CNA Financial (NYSE:CNA) last posted its earnings results on Monday, November 4th. The insurance provider reported $1.08 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.07 by $0.01. The company had revenue of $3.62 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.15 billion. CNA Financial had a net margin of 9.26% and a return on equity of 13.30%. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $1.06 earnings per share. Equities research analysts predict that CNA Financial will post 4.55 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

CNA Financial Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 5th. Investors of record on Monday, November 18th will be given a dividend of $0.44 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, November 18th. This represents a $1.76 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.57%. CNA Financial’s payout ratio is currently 36.67%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, EVP Elizabeth Ann Aguinaga sold 26,160 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $49.60, for a total transaction of $1,297,536.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 47,744 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,368,102.40. This represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. In other news, EVP Mark Steven James sold 18,547 shares of CNA Financial stock in a transaction dated Monday, September 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $50.58, for a total transaction of $938,107.26. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 22,917 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,159,141.86. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, EVP Elizabeth Ann Aguinaga sold 26,160 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $49.60, for a total transaction of $1,297,536.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 47,744 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,368,102.40. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.30% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of CNA Financial

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Abich Financial Wealth Management LLC lifted its stake in CNA Financial by 17.3% during the second quarter. Abich Financial Wealth Management LLC now owns 2,059 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $95,000 after purchasing an additional 303 shares during the last quarter. Signaturefd LLC lifted its position in CNA Financial by 10.4% in the 2nd quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 3,897 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $180,000 after buying an additional 366 shares during the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC boosted its stake in CNA Financial by 36.9% in the second quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 1,566 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $72,000 after buying an additional 422 shares in the last quarter. AE Wealth Management LLC grew its position in CNA Financial by 1.1% during the second quarter. AE Wealth Management LLC now owns 39,256 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $1,809,000 after acquiring an additional 431 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Wakefield Asset Management LLLP raised its stake in shares of CNA Financial by 4.5% during the second quarter. Wakefield Asset Management LLLP now owns 10,205 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $470,000 after acquiring an additional 440 shares in the last quarter. 98.45% of the stock is 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.