Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd Purchases Shares of 18,657 CNA Financial Co. (NYSE:CNA)

Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd acquired a new position in CNA Financial Co. (NYSE:CNA - Free Report) during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund acquired 18,657 shares of the insurance provider's stock, valued at approximately $913,000.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in CNA. True Wealth Design LLC acquired a new stake in CNA Financial during the 3rd quarter worth about $36,000. Fairscale Capital LLC acquired a new stake in shares of CNA Financial during the second quarter valued at approximately $55,000. Whittier Trust Co. purchased a new stake in shares of CNA Financial in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $92,000. Blue Trust Inc. acquired a new position in CNA Financial in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $94,000. Finally, Abich Financial Wealth Management LLC grew its position in CNA Financial by 17.3% during the 2nd quarter. Abich Financial Wealth Management LLC now owns 2,059 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $95,000 after purchasing an additional 303 shares in the last quarter. 98.45% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

CNA Financial Stock Up 1.1 %

Shares of NYSE:CNA traded up $0.53 during trading on Friday, reaching $48.84. 324,973 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 277,054. CNA Financial Co. has a 1-year low of $40.92 and a 1-year 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 firm has a market cap of $13.23 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.07, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 6.20 and a beta of 0.66. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $49.03 and a 200 day simple moving average of $48.20.

CNA Financial (NYSE:CNA - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Monday, November 4th. The insurance provider reported $1.08 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.07 by $0.01. CNA Financial had a return on equity of 13.30% and a net margin of 9.26%. The firm had revenue of $3.62 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $3.15 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $1.06 earnings per share. Analysts anticipate that CNA Financial Co. will post 4.68 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

CNA Financial Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, December 5th. Investors of record on Monday, November 18th were issued a $0.44 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, November 18th. This represents a $1.76 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.60%. CNA Financial's dividend payout ratio is currently 36.67%.

Insider Activity at CNA Financial

In related news, EVP Mark Steven James sold 18,547 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred 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 transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 22,917 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,159,141.86. This trade represents a 44.73 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP Douglas Worman sold 22,973 shares of the company'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 directly owns 133,777 shares of the company's stock, valued at $6,521,628.75. The trade was a 14.66 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 0.30% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Bank of America increased their target price on CNA Financial from $45.00 to $48.00 and gave the company an "underperform" rating in a report on Thursday, October 10th. StockNews.com raised CNA Financial from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, November 13th. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lifted 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.

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.