CNA Financial (NYSE:CNA) Hits New 52-Week High at $52.15

CNA Financial Co. (NYSE:CNA)’s share price hit a new 52-week high during trading on Thursday . The company traded as high as $52.15 and last traded at $52.05, with a volume of 42182 shares. The stock had previously closed at $51.81.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts recently issued reports on the company. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods raised their price target on CNA Financial from $48.00 to $53.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a research report on Thursday, August 1st. StockNews.com upgraded CNA Financial from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, May 16th.

CNA Financial Stock Up 0.2 %

The stock has a market cap of $14.09 billion, a PE ratio of 11.34, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.34 and a beta of 0.64. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.30, a current ratio of 0.27 and a quick ratio of 0.27. The business has a fifty day moving average of $48.01 and a 200-day moving average of $45.61.

CNA Financial (NYSE:CNA) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Monday, July 29th. The insurance provider reported $1.19 EPS for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $1.19. The company had revenue of $3.52 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.08 billion. CNA Financial had a net margin of 9.27% and a return on equity of 14.02%. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $1.13 earnings per share. Equities research analysts anticipate that CNA Financial Co. will post 4.87 earnings per share for the current year.

CNA Financial Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, August 29th. Investors of record on Monday, August 12th were given a dividend of $0.44 per share. This represents a $1.76 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.39%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, August 12th. CNA Financial’s dividend payout ratio is currently 38.43%.

Insider Buying and Selling at CNA Financial

In related news, EVP Jane Elizabeth Possell sold 4,444 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $48.08, for a total transaction of $213,667.52. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 30,009 shares in the company, valued at $1,442,832.72. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. In other CNA Financial news, EVP Elizabeth Ann Aguinaga sold 26,160 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 20th. The shares were 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 directly owns 47,744 shares in the company, valued at $2,368,102.40. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Jane Elizabeth Possell sold 4,444 shares of the company’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 owns 30,009 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,442,832.72. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.30% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On CNA Financial

Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. AQR Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of CNA Financial by 97.9% during the second quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 1,152,528 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $51,760,000 after buying an additional 570,172 shares in the last quarter. Rhumbline Advisers grew its stake in CNA Financial by 570.6% during the 2nd quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 529,862 shares of the insurance provider’s stock valued at $24,411,000 after acquiring an additional 450,843 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in CNA Financial during the 4th quarter valued at about $14,296,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp lifted its stake in CNA Financial by 45.5% in the 2nd quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 1,068,956 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $49,247,000 after purchasing an additional 334,463 shares in the last quarter. Finally, American Century Companies Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of CNA Financial by 786.5% during the 2nd quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 153,669 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $7,080,000 after purchasing an additional 136,334 shares during the last quarter. 98.45% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.