Proficio Capital Partners LLC Takes Position in CNA Financial Co. (NYSE:CNA)

Proficio Capital Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of CNA Financial Co. (NYSE:CNA - Free Report) during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor acquired 16,930 shares of the insurance provider's stock, valued at approximately $819,000.

Other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. HighTower Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of CNA Financial by 107.1% in the 3rd quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC now owns 22,172 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $1,066,000 after acquiring an additional 11,468 shares in the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP lifted its stake 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 purchasing an additional 12,528 shares during the last quarter. Barclays PLC boosted its holdings in CNA Financial by 108.7% in the third quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 31,444 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $1,539,000 after purchasing an additional 16,377 shares during the period. Bank of New York Mellon Corp increased its stake in CNA Financial by 66.0% during the fourth quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 1,177,110 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $56,937,000 after purchasing an additional 468,058 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Empowered Funds LLC acquired a new stake in shares of CNA Financial during the fourth quarter worth $255,000. 98.45% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Transactions at CNA Financial

In related news, Chairman Dino Robusto bought 3,896 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 13th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $47.63 per share, with a total value of $185,566.48. Following the purchase, the chairman now owns 724,338 shares in the company, valued at approximately $34,500,218.94. This represents a 0.54 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CAO Daniel Paul Franzetti sold 12,991 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $49.06, for a total transaction of $637,338.46. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 75,612 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $3,709,524.72. This represents a 14.66 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 0.30% of the company's stock.

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CNA Financial Stock Performance

NYSE CNA traded up $0.35 during trading hours on Wednesday, hitting $50.15. The company had a trading volume of 304,333 shares, compared to its average volume of 290,235. The company has a quick ratio of 0.28, a current ratio of 0.28 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.28. The firm has a market cap of $13.58 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.25, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 9.23 and a beta of 0.68. CNA Financial Co. has a fifty-two week low of $42.33 and a fifty-two week high of $52.36. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $48.88 and a 200-day simple moving average of $48.86.

CNA Financial (NYSE:CNA - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Monday, February 10th. The insurance provider reported $1.25 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.11 by $0.14. CNA Financial had a net margin of 6.72% and a return on equity of 12.90%. Equities analysts predict that CNA Financial Co. will post 4.64 EPS for the current year.

CNA Financial Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, March 13th. Stockholders of record on Monday, February 24th were issued a dividend of $0.46 per share. This represents a $1.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.67%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, February 24th. This is a boost from CNA Financial's previous quarterly dividend of $0.44. CNA Financial's payout ratio is 52.27%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms have recently commented on CNA. StockNews.com lowered shares of CNA Financial from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, February 11th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods cut their target price on shares of CNA Financial from $54.00 to $53.00 and set a "market perform" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, February 12th.

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.