Short Interest in CNA Financial Co. (NYSE:CNA) Expands By 19.6%

CNA Financial Co. (NYSE:CNA - Get Free Report) was the target of a large growth in short interest in the month of December. As of December 15th, there was short interest totalling 813,400 shares, a growth of 19.6% from the November 30th total of 680,100 shares. Currently, 0.3% of the shares of the company are sold short. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 277,600 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 2.9 days.

CNA Financial Stock Performance

CNA stock traded down $0.53 during trading on Friday, reaching $48.40. 159,778 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 274,698. CNA Financial has a 1-year low of $41.64 and a 1-year high of $52.36. The firm has a market cap of $13.11 billion, a PE ratio of 10.08, a P/E/G ratio of 6.20 and a beta of 0.66. The company's fifty day moving average price is $48.89 and its 200-day moving average price is $48.49. The company has a quick ratio of 0.26, a current ratio of 0.26 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.28.

CNA Financial (NYSE:CNA - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Monday, November 4th. The insurance provider reported $1.08 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.07 by $0.01. The business had revenue of $3.62 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations 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 business earned $1.06 earnings per share. On average, research analysts expect that CNA Financial will post 4.68 EPS for the current fiscal year.

CNA Financial Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, December 5th. Stockholders of record on Monday, November 18th were issued a $0.44 dividend. This represents a $1.76 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.64%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, November 18th. CNA Financial's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 36.67%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

CNA has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods raised their target price on CNA Financial from $54.00 to $55.00 and gave the company a "market perform" rating in a research note on Friday, November 8th. Bank of America lifted their price objective on shares of CNA Financial from $45.00 to $48.00 and gave the company an "underperform" rating in a research report on Thursday, October 10th. Finally, StockNews.com upgraded shares of CNA Financial from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 13th.

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP Douglas Worman sold 22,973 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, November 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $48.75, for a total value of $1,119,933.75. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 133,777 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $6,521,628.75. This trade represents a 14.66 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 0.30% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On CNA Financial

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. True Wealth Design LLC acquired a new position in shares of CNA Financial during the 3rd quarter valued at $36,000. Fairscale Capital LLC acquired a new stake in shares of CNA Financial in the second quarter valued at $55,000. Abich Financial Wealth Management LLC boosted 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 valued at $95,000 after buying an additional 303 shares in the last quarter. Point72 Asia Singapore Pte. Ltd. acquired a new position in CNA Financial during the third quarter worth about $146,000. Finally, Blue Trust Inc. raised its position in CNA Financial by 74.8% in the third quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 3,635 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $167,000 after acquiring an additional 1,555 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 98.45% 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.