CNA Financial (NYSE:CNA) Price Target Raised to $55.00

CNA Financial (NYSE:CNA - Free Report) had its target price boosted by Keefe, Bruyette & Woods from $54.00 to $55.00 in a research note released on Friday morning,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has a market perform rating on the insurance provider's stock.

Other equities analysts also recently issued research reports about the company. Bank of America raised their price target on CNA Financial from $45.00 to $48.00 and gave the stock an "underperform" rating in a research report on Thursday, October 10th. StockNews.com cut shares of CNA Financial from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday.

CNA Financial Trading Up 1.2 %

CNA Financial stock traded up $0.57 during trading on Friday, reaching $49.29. 213,749 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 277,084. The stock's 50 day simple moving average is $49.41 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $47.36. The company has a market capitalization of $13.35 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.28, a PEG ratio of 3.41 and a beta of 0.65. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.28, a current ratio of 0.26 and a quick ratio of 0.27. CNA Financial has a 52-week low of $38.32 and a 52-week high of $52.36.

CNA Financial (NYSE:CNA - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Monday, November 4th. The insurance provider reported $1.08 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate 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 return on equity of 13.30% and a net margin of 9.26%. During the same period last year, the firm earned $1.06 earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts expect that CNA Financial will post 4.55 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

CNA Financial Dividend Announcement

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

Insider Transactions at CNA Financial

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

Institutional Trading of CNA Financial

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Tidal Investments LLC increased its stake in CNA Financial by 335.4% during the 1st quarter. Tidal Investments LLC now owns 30,046 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $1,365,000 after purchasing an additional 23,146 shares in the last quarter. Entropy Technologies LP acquired a new stake in shares of CNA Financial during the 1st quarter worth about $520,000. Symmetry Partners LLC grew its position in shares of CNA Financial by 318.3% in the second quarter. Symmetry Partners LLC now owns 20,361 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $938,000 after purchasing an additional 15,493 shares during the last quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in CNA Financial by 97.9% in the 2nd quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 1,152,528 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $51,760,000 after buying an additional 570,172 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC acquired a new stake in CNA Financial in the 2nd quarter worth about $273,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 98.45% of the company's stock.

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.