CNA Financial (NYSE:CNA) Given New $53.00 Price Target at Keefe, Bruyette & Woods

CNA Financial (NYSE:CNA - Free Report) had its price target lowered by Keefe, Bruyette & Woods from $54.00 to $53.00 in a research note released on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods currently has a market perform rating on the insurance provider's stock.

Separately, StockNews.com cut CNA Financial from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday.

CNA Financial Stock Down 1.4 %

CNA Financial stock traded down $0.71 during midday trading on Wednesday, reaching $48.65. The company's stock had a trading volume of 351,160 shares, compared to its average volume of 209,462. The stock's 50-day simple moving average is $48.45 and its 200-day simple moving average is $49.09. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.28, a current ratio of 0.26 and a quick ratio of 0.26. CNA Financial has a 52-week low of $42.33 and a 52-week high of $52.36. The stock has a market capitalization of $13.18 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.14 and a beta of 0.66.

CNA Financial (NYSE:CNA - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Monday, February 10th. The insurance provider reported $1.25 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.11 by $0.14. CNA Financial had a return on equity of 13.30% and a net margin of 9.26%. On average, sell-side analysts expect that CNA Financial will post 4.68 EPS for the current year.

CNA Financial Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, March 13th. Stockholders of record on Monday, February 24th will be paid a $0.46 dividend. This represents a $1.84 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.78%. This is a boost from CNA Financial's previous quarterly dividend of $0.44. The ex-dividend date is Monday, February 24th. CNA Financial's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 36.67%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. HighTower Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of CNA Financial by 107.1% in the third quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC now owns 22,172 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $1,066,000 after purchasing an additional 11,468 shares during the last quarter. Creative Planning grew its holdings in CNA Financial by 16.5% during the third quarter. Creative Planning now owns 16,067 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $786,000 after acquiring an additional 2,272 shares during the period. Quest Partners LLC grew its holdings in CNA Financial by 69.3% during the third quarter. Quest Partners LLC now owns 26,737 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $1,309,000 after acquiring an additional 10,940 shares during the period. Wellington Management Group LLP grew its holdings in CNA Financial by 43.9% during the third quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 41,051 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $2,009,000 after acquiring an additional 12,528 shares during the period. Finally, Barclays PLC grew its holdings in CNA Financial by 108.7% during the third quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 31,444 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $1,539,000 after acquiring an additional 16,377 shares during the period. 98.45% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other 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.