CNA Financial (NYSE:CNA) Cut to Hold at StockNews.com

CNA Financial (NYSE:CNA) was downgraded by stock analysts at StockNews.com from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Tuesday.

Other equities analysts have also recently issued research reports about the company. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lifted 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. Bank of America increased their price objective on 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 1.4 %

NYSE:CNA traded up $0.67 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, reaching $47.48. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 297,609 shares, compared to its average volume of 277,090. The firm has a market capitalization of $12.86 billion, a PE ratio of 10.08, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.46 and a beta of 0.65. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $49.60 and a 200-day moving average of $47.32. CNA Financial has a 1 year low of $38.32 and a 1 year high of $52.36. The company has a quick ratio of 0.27, a current ratio of 0.27 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.30.

CNA Financial (NYSE:CNA) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Monday, November 4th. The insurance provider reported $1.08 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.07 by $0.01. CNA Financial had a net margin of 9.27% and a return on equity of 14.02%. The company had revenue of $3.62 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.15 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $1.06 EPS. Equities research analysts forecast that CNA Financial will post 4.55 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP Mark Steven James sold 18,547 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 $1,159,141.86. This represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. In other CNA Financial news, EVP Mark Steven James sold 18,547 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, September 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $50.58, for a total value of $938,107.26. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 22,917 shares in the company, valued at $1,159,141.86. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction 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 stock in a transaction dated 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 sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 47,744 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,368,102.40. This represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.31% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On CNA Financial

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. New York State Common Retirement Fund raised its position in shares of CNA Financial by 366.7% in the third quarter. New York State Common Retirement Fund now owns 1,401,539 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $68,591,000 after buying an additional 1,101,217 shares in the last quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in CNA Financial by 97.9% in the second quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 1,152,528 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $51,760,000 after acquiring an additional 570,172 shares in the last quarter. Rhumbline Advisers raised its holdings in CNA Financial by 570.6% during the second quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 529,862 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $24,411,000 after buying an additional 450,843 shares during the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp boosted its stake in CNA Financial by 45.5% during the 2nd quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 1,068,956 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $49,247,000 after purchasing an additional 334,463 shares during the last quarter. Finally, American Century Companies Inc. grew its holdings in 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 buying an additional 136,334 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.