Wealthstar Advisors LLC Makes New Investment in CNA Financial Co. (NYSE:CNA)

Wealthstar Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in CNA Financial Co. (NYSE:CNA - Free Report) in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund purchased 8,700 shares of the insurance provider's stock, valued at approximately $421,000.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. HighTower Advisors LLC boosted its position 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 valued at $1,066,000 after acquiring an additional 11,468 shares during the period. Creative Planning grew its position in shares of CNA Financial by 16.5% during the 3rd quarter. Creative Planning now owns 16,067 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $786,000 after purchasing an additional 2,272 shares in the last quarter. Quest Partners LLC grew its position in shares of CNA Financial by 69.3% during the 3rd quarter. Quest Partners LLC now owns 26,737 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $1,309,000 after purchasing an additional 10,940 shares in the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP increased its holdings in shares of 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 period. Finally, Barclays PLC raised its position in shares of CNA Financial by 108.7% in the third quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 31,444 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $1,539,000 after buying an additional 16,377 shares in the last quarter. 98.45% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

CNA Financial Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:CNA traded up $0.81 during midday trading on Thursday, hitting $49.42. The stock had a trading volume of 353,016 shares, compared to its average volume of 261,573. The company's 50-day moving average price is $48.48 and its 200-day moving average price is $49.09. CNA Financial Co. has a fifty-two week low of $42.33 and a fifty-two week high of $52.36. The company has a quick ratio of 0.26, a current ratio of 0.26 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.28. The company has a market capitalization of $13.38 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.30 and a beta of 0.66.

CNA Financial (NYSE:CNA - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Monday, February 10th. The insurance provider reported $1.25 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.11 by $0.14. CNA Financial had a net margin of 9.26% and a return on equity of 13.30%. As a group, equities research analysts predict that CNA Financial Co. will post 4.68 EPS for the current fiscal year.

CNA Financial Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, March 13th. Investors of record on Monday, February 24th will be given a dividend of $0.46 per share. This is an increase from CNA Financial's previous quarterly dividend of $0.44. This represents a $1.84 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.72%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, February 24th. CNA Financial's dividend payout ratio is currently 52.27%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts recently issued reports on CNA shares. StockNews.com downgraded CNA Financial from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reduced their target price on CNA Financial from $54.00 to $53.00 and set a "market perform" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday.

CNA Financial 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.